In 2021, over 80,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdose – either from prescription opioid pain relievers, or from illicit opioids purchased “on the street”. Patients receiving a prescription for opioid pain relievers for short-term treatment of acute pain can easily end up taking them habitually long-term, or becoming addicted to them. Understanding the proper use of these medications – and when not to take them – is critical to help reduce the harm they can cause. Knowing how to store them properly and safely at home, and how to safely dispose of unused opioid medication, is crucial to prevent others in the household from taking these medications without a prescription (a common way adolescents access opioids). And with the growing trend of black market opioid pain relievers being sold “on the street” being laced with lethally potent opioids like fentanyl, understanding these dangers is all the more important. The website links provided here provide more in-depth information about these very important topics.