Americans have trouble distinguishing opioids from other drugs

The majority of people in the U.S. believe they know what counts as an opioid — but a new survey of 1,000 people finds that only one in five can recognize the names of seven commonly prescribed opioids. Nearly half didn't recognize tramadol as being an opioid, but 73% said oxytocin — which isn't an opioid, but is used to induce labor — was an opioid. The survey also asked whether participants had been prescribed an opioid in the past year. Of those who had, fewer than one-quarter were storing them in a locked cabinet as recommended by experts.