1 of 11 organ donors is a drug overdose victim

America's opioid epidemic has had far-reaching and generally devastating consequences. Now, the impact is being seen in organ donations. Coinciding with a rise in drug-related deaths, the number of organ donors who died of drug overdoses has sharply increased in recent years. The increase in organ transplants from drug overdose victims may raise questions about safety. But organ transplants from drug users have been deemed acceptable for decades.