DENVER — Prescription drug abuse is an epidemic in Colorado and across the country.

“As a nation, the number of deaths that come from overdose is greater than the number of deaths from car accidents,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.

Burwell’s comments came during a visit to Denver on Thursday, in which she met with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and other state medical officials to specifically discuss the surge in prescription opioid abuse. MORE