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Opioids are one of the major causes of death in some areas of the United States. In one of NPR's analytic poll, it was revealed that people are still using opioids despite the looming dangers that it can possibly cause.

Health care experts announced that thousands of Americans are being placed at risk of opioid overdose as the polls continually reach alarming rates in regards to opioid consumption. NPR mentioned that Americans are still in favor of taking opioids despite its looming dangers which can potentially lead to death.

"The drugs are like a two-edged sword," Ron Ozminkowski, ‎vice president of cognitive analytics in the value-based care pillar at IBM Watson Health, who works with Truven on the poll stated during his interview. "They're great for people who really need them for heavy duty pain, but they come with addiction risk and side effects."

It was mentioned that most of the people that the team surveyed revealed that they were given narcotic painkillers such as morphine, Vicodin and Percolate. It was then added that the number drastically increased by 3 percent in 2014, and 7 percent by 2014. Most of the prescriptions were given for acute pain, while 19 percent of those who were interviewed mentioned that they were given the drugs for chronic pain.

One in every four people who used opioid is addicted to their prescription. The Center for Disease Control Prevention then added that patients would still opt to use the drugs despite its dangers. According to Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and commissioner of health for the City of Baltimore, physicians should first opt for a non-narcotic pain killer if possible for the addiction and the death rates to subside.

Health care providers should be keen when it comes prescribing the drug. She then added that precautions should be explained before handing their patients the prescription.