Heroin Use Continues To Rise Over 10 Years
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -– The number of heroin users has continued to increase over the past 10 years.
From 2002 to 2013, the number of heroin users has increased from 404,000 to 681,000, while the number of users undergoing treatment has increased from 277,000 to 526,000, according to a survey released Thursday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The increase has overwhelmed some substance abuse treatment facilities, with almost one in ten of them working above capacity, according to researchers.
With over 11 million abusers of prescription pain medication, there was increasing concern that many of them would become heroin users.
While there is evidence that abusers of prescription pain medication are at greater risk for becoming heroin users compared to non-prescription drug abusers, only a small number of them actually make the transition, according to the survey’s authors.
Heroin users increase in number every year, and while treatment programs try to keep pace, researchers say it is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed and monitored.
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