Heroin overdose deaths--Multnomah County, Oregon, 1993-1999

Abstract

In the United States, heroin use is increasing and was implicated in 3805 deaths in 1993 (1). Multnomah County is Oregon's most populous county (1998 estimated population: 641,900); three fourths of county residents live in Portland. In 1999, in response to community concerns, the Multnomah County Health Department analyzed medical examiner (ME) data for 1993-1999 and interviewed heroin users to characterize heroin overdose deaths (HODDs) in the county. This report summarizes the findings of these studies, which indicate that HODDs in the county more than doubled from 1993 to 1999 (from 46 to 111), and that interviews with users helped identify possible public health interventions.