Drugs - Heroin

By Jerry Price - Mar 13, 2006 -

“Although it is difficult to obtain an exact number of heroin users because of the transient nature of this population, several surveys have attempted to provide estimates. A rough estimate of the hardcore addict population in the United States places the number between 750,000 and 1,000,000 users.

“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that, in 2001, approximately 3.1 million Americans (1.4 percent) 12 years old and older had used heroin at least once in their lifetime. Persons ages 18 to 25 reported the highest percentage of lifetime heroin use with 1.6 percent in 2001.

“According to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Study in 2002, 1.6 percent of 8th graders, 1.8 percent of 10th graders, and 1.7 percent of 12th graders surveyed reported using heroin at least once during their lifetime. That study also showed that 0.9 percent of 8th graders, 1.1 percent of 10th graders, and 1 percent of 12th graders reported using heroin in the past year.

“Among college students surveyed in 2001, 1.2 percent reported using heroin during their lifetime and 0.1 percent reported using heroin in the 30 days before being surveyed. Of those young adults surveyed between ages 19 and 28, 2 percent reported using heroin during their lifetime and 0.3 percent reported using heroin within the 30 days before being surveyed.

“In another study, of those high school students surveyed in 2001 as part of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 3.1 percent reported using heroin at least once during their lifetime. Male students (3.8 percent) were more likely than female students (2.5 percent) to report lifetime heroin use.”

Fact Sheet: Heroin (Office of National Drug Control Policy), November 2003 [Accessed November 1, 2005]

  • Between 1992 and 2002, inhalation increased as the route of administration from 20 to 33 percent of primary heroin admissions, while injection decreased from 77 to 62 percent.
  • Admissions younger than 30 years of age decreased from 45 to 22 percent of primary heroin inhalation admissions, and increased from 21 to 31 percent of primary heroin injection admissions.
  • The proportion of heroin inhalation admissions with no prior treatment episodes decreased from 40 to 26 percent, while the proportion with five or more prior treatment episodes increased from 7 to 14 percent.

Heroin—Changes In How It Is Used: 1992-2002 The Dasis Report, (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), December 17, 2004 [Accessed November 1, 2005]

Further Learning

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