Q. I am having a hard time finding peer reviewed articles on opioid use prevalence

You can locate overdose information from the Center for Disease Control, here: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/overdose.html

AND

Here are some sample articles on the topic:

Schuchat A, Houry DE, Gery Jr GP. New data on opioid use and prescribing in the United States. JAMA Viewpoint 2017;318(7):1-2.  (Please note: we subscribe to this  journal in PRINT only - but coudl scan and send you the article, if you fill out the InterLibrary Loan form)

Guy G, Pasalic E, Zhang K. Emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses – United States, 2010-2014. AJPM. Published online December 15, 2017. DOI: j.amepre.2017.09.003