Final answer:
Prescription opioid misuse is the major and increasing source of death in the United States, leading to the worst drug crisis in American history. Factors contributing to this crisis include the increase in medical use of prescription painkillers and the shifting of addicted individuals to cheaper and deadlier alternatives like heroin and synthetic opioids.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major and increasing source of death in the United States, as reported by the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), is prescription opioid misuse. Over the years, there has been a dramatic increase in opioid addiction and overdose deaths, leading to what is considered the worst drug crisis in American history.
This crisis is attributed to several factors. One of the main factors is the increase in the medical use of prescription painkillers, with the number of prescriptions for these drugs nearly tripling from 1991 to 2011. Additionally, the scarcity of prescription pain pills due to aggressive policing and reformulation drove many addicted individuals to seek cheaper and more deadly alternatives, such as heroin and synthetic opioids like Fentanyl.
The opioid epidemic has affected all demographic groups in the United States and has alarming death rates. In 2017, drug overdoses from opioids (prescription and illegal) reached more than 21 per 100,000 people, a significant increase from 6 per 100,000 in 1999.