I Don't Understand the Politics of Drug Deaths

Alcohol Kills More People than Opioids 

But It's NOT an Epidemic?

I don't understand the politics of drug deaths... 

Drugs that kill people fast like opioids are an epidemic and a priority for law enforcement. 
Drugs that kill more people, but kill them slowly are not a priority for anyone... 

The article below says 88,000 people a year die from alcohol. I fear another drug may kill more, because gastrointestinal disease is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. and NSAID's are both sold over the counter and handed out like candy by physicians, I'm afraid the death toll from NSAID's may be higher than we think.

The USA Today article says "As opioid overdoses, which kill about 72,000 people a year, grabbed America's attention, the slower moving epidemic of alcohol accelerated, especially in Southern states and the nation's capital. About 88,000 people die each year from alcohol"

Alcohol Kills More People than Opioids