Should also point out: The category ‘‘drug-induced causes’’ includes not only deaths from dependent and nondependent use of drugs (legal and illegal u

Should also point out: The category ‘‘drug-induced causes’’ includes not only deaths from dependent and nondependent use of drugs (legal and illegal use), but also poisoning from medically prescribed and other drugs. It excludes accidents, homicides, and other causes indirectly related to drug use. Also excluded are newborn deaths due to mother’s drug use. (For drug-induced causes, see Technical notes.) Between 1997 and 1998 the age-adjusted death rate for drug-induced causes increased 5 percent from 5.6 deaths per 100,000 U.S. standard population to 5.9, the highest it has been since at least 1979. And doing a little searching for number of deaths from prescribed medications: In 2010, there were 38,329 drug overdose deaths in the United States; most (22 134; 57.7%) involved pharmaceuticals; 9429 (24.6%) involved only unspecified drugs. Of the pharmaceutical-related overdose deaths, 16,451 (74.3%) were unintentional, 3780 (17.1%) were suicides, and 1868 (8.4%) were of undetermined intent. Opioids (16,651; 75.2%), benzodiazepines (6497; 29.4%), antidepressants (3889; 17.6%), and antiepileptic and antiparkinsonism drugs (1717; 7.8%) were the pharmaceuticals (alone or in combination with other drugs) most commonly involved in pharmaceutical overdose deaths. Among overdose deaths involving opioid analgesics, the pharmaceuticals most often also involved in these deaths were benzodiazepines (5017; 30.1%), antidepressants (2239; 13.4%), antiepileptic and antiparkinsonism drugs (1125; 6.8%), and antipsychotics and neuroleptics (783; 4.7%)." - See more at: http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Causes_of_Death#sthash.gaJ8WlzN.dpuf I think the "drugs kill more people than guns" statement in the slide show is a little disingenuous because "drug deaths" implies "illegal drugs" and not "your doctor gave you some shit that killed you". Also, I find it hard to believe that that number starting in, what, the late 70s? is anywhere near accurate. I'll ask you this: do you think more or fewer people were using dangerous drugs in the 70s than today? During disco, coke, free sex, and a general environment of nihilism? My guess is same or less, not the quite significant growth suggested in the slideshow.