Trends in Heroin Use in the United States: 2002 to 2013

Excerpt

Background: Heroin is a highly addictive opiate that is illegal and has no accepted medical use in the United States. Tracking trends in heroin use can help focus prevention efforts by identifying whether the rate of use is rising. Method: 2002 through 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimates of heroin use, initiation, treatment, perceived availability, and perceived risk of using heroin for persons aged 12 or older were analyzed. Results: Heroin use remains uncommon in the United States, with an estimated 681,000 past year users in 2013 (0.3 percent of the population aged 12 or older). Although the number of heroin users is lower than the number of users of other substances, rates of heroin use were higher in 2013 than they were a decade ago. Similarly, the number of people who received treatment for heroin use during their most recent treatment in the past year has risen from 277,000 people in 2002 to 526,000 people in 2013. In 2013, there were 169,000 past year heroin initiates, which is similar to the number of initiates in most years since 2002. Perceptions of the riskiness of heroin use have slightly declined in the past decade but nevertheless have remained at high levels. With regard to availability, respondents in 2013 perceived that heroin was less easily obtained than respondents perceived a decade ago. Conclusion: Heroin rates, perceptions of the riskiness of heroin use, and perceptions about the ease of obtaining heroin have changed over the past decade, but they have not varied in recent years.