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Opioid Prescriptions High In Bergen County, CDC Says

The good news is that the U.S. is experiencing a decrease in prescribed opioids, according to a recent study by the Center for Disease Control.

Morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) of opioids prescribed per capita in 2015 and change in MMEs per capita during 2010–2015, by county — United States, 2010–2015.

Morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) of opioids prescribed per capita in 2015 and change in MMEs per capita during 2010–2015, by county — United States, 2010–2015.

Photo Credit: CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL

The bad? The amount still remains high in certain areas of New Jersey, including Bergen and Passaic counties.

Bergen had a rate of 470 MME per person in 2015, an 18 percent drop from 2010. This put it in the second-lowest quartile of counties in the United States.

The amount of opioids prescribed in the United States peaked at 782 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per capita in 2010 and then decreased to 640 MME per capita in 2015, the CDC said.

Despite significant decreases, the amount of opioids prescribed in 2015 remained approximately three times as high as in 1999 and varied substantially across the country, the study found.

Bergen and Passaic counties both made NJ.com's list of top 21 counties flooded with opioid prescriptions — with Hudson County at No. 21 and Camden County at No. 1.

  • Bergen County came in at No. 15: Bergen had a rate of 470 MME per person in 2015, an 18 percent drop from 2010. This put it in the second-lowest quartile of counties in the United States.
  • Passaic County: Passaic had a rate of 580 MME per person in 2015, which was unchanged from 2010. This put it in the second-lowest quartile of counties in the United States.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL CDC STUDY.

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