Drug Poisonings Kill More Than Auto Accidents

It may be old news but I think it's worth noting again that deaths from prescription drugs kill almost as many people as car wrecks, heading to become the leading cause of death in the United States very shortly.  In fact since the latest data from the U. S. National Vital Statistics System are from 2008, it may have already happened.

While the rate of deaths from car accidents has been steadily dropping for the past few decades the rate for poisonings has steadily increased, the rate of drug deaths has many fold.  In the old days it used to be cocaine and heroin but today it's hydrocodone and methadone.  It's not illegal street drugs that are the problem, it's prescription drugs today.

I guess we can file this under "unintended consequences" from America's health care system.