Why is this happening?
- Among new heroin users, 75 percent report having abused prescription opioids before using heroin. (CDC)
- Heroin availability at the retail level in many US markets is a high purity (CDC)
- Increased heroin availability at a relatively low price (compared to prescription opioids) (CDC)
- Prescription opioids and heroin have similar euphoric effects. (NIDA)
- The number of heroin users has more than quadrupled during the last decade.(JAMA Psychiatry)
- Approximately 75 percent of new heroin users are coming to heroin after having abusing prescription opioids. (CDC)
- Heroin, on the other hand, has varying purities, adulterants, making it much easier to overdose.
