Drug overdose epidemic top cause of U.S. injury deaths

Yet prescription drugs remain a far deadlier problem, the DEA report said. More people abuse prescription medication than cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, MDMA and PCP combined and prescription drug deaths have outpaced those of cocaine and heroin combined since 2002.

Bet that ain't gonna make the headlines in Redneckistan...

I'll add my two cents worth in it regarding the over medication issue....Americans in general don't like discomfort leading to reliance on pain medication. Oxycodone is a potent pain med with frightening high addiction numbers. Doctors do push usage of pain meds. My experience is it is suggested by my doctors were "trust me, you will need it" and never "only if you really need it". Needless to say, I don't even fill those pain med scripts anymore. The pain is tolerable. Addiction is deadly.

With a relaxed border policy mexican smugglers are able to trample over the border with cheap heroin and meth flooding US streets. This relaxed border policy and tolerance of illegal immigration sits well with Blue states and their voters.

Some 46,471 people died of drug overdoses in 2013, the latest data available, while car accidents claimed the lives of 35,369 people and guns killed 33,636.

And how many car fatalities and killings with guns were as a direct result of drugs?

Good question. Also how many drug overdoses and gun deaths are suicides?

Driving impaired definitely raises auto accident rates. That both drugs and alcohol. The illegal drug world often is accociateed with guns used for robbery, intimidation and protection. How many of those gun are deaths are attributed to drugs?

What do guns have to do with this conversation? Hint: Nothing.

Prevention of overdose deaths are another reason why heroin (and all drugs) should be made legal. Right now the industry is unregulated, so heroin users don't know the strength of the heroin they are buying, or if it is even heroin (there's been a problem with fentanyl being mixed in with heroin recently). This is why they end up overdosing - they accidentally take too much of a dose and end up dead.

As long as Americans have the freedom to go out & party, there will always be drugs available to them. The war on drugs was lost.

In the US, possession of meth/coke/heroin is a felony. But being under the influence of any combo or either is a misdemeanor. Some laws in some states are jokes.