BYÂ SARAH CHILDRESS
As the United States struggles to deal with whatâs been called the worst drug crisis in American history, its veterans have also been caught up in the opioid epidemic. About 60 percent of those returning from deployments in the Middle East, and 50 percent of older veterans suffer from chronic pain, according to Veterans Affairs officials. Thatâs compared to about 30 percent of Americans nationwide.
Veterans face a double-edged threat: Untreated chronic pain can increase the risk of suicide, but poorly managed opioid regimens can also be fatal. Veterans are twice as likely to die from accidental opioid overdoses than non-veterans, according to a 2011 study of the VA system.
Until a few years ago, the VA was treating veteransâ chronic pain almost exclusively with 
prescriptions for opioid painkillers. Prescriptions for opiates spiked by 270 percent over 12 years, according to a 2013 analysis by the Center for Investigative Reporting, leading to addictions and a fatal overdose rate twice the national average.
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