Oregon Public Broadcasting

The number of Oregonians who die from overdosing on prescription drugs is twice the number who die from heroin or cocaine overdoses, according to the state public health division. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

Over the last 10 years, the rate of unintentional poisoning deaths in Oregon has more than doubled.

Now, more middle aged people die from drug overdoses than from car crashes.

Often it's because they're taking illegal drugs, but statistically it's more likely that they're on prescription opiates for pain. 

State epidemiologist, Katrina Hedberg, says chronic pain affects about 15 percent of the adult population and opiates like methadone are effective.

Katrina Hedberg: "Part of the problem with methadone, however, is that it has a very long half-life. So it stays in the body for a very long time. and so some patients may not be aware of how much of this they have in their system. So they are dying of overdoses of this medication."

Recent data from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency show that Oregon distributes more methadone per capita through pharmacies, than any other state in the nation.

And there's a close parallel between the amount of methadone distributed and the overdose death rate.