Pubdate: Sun, 12 Jul 2015
Source: Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, NJ)
Copyright: 2015 Courier-Post
Contact:  http://www.courierpostonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/826
Author: Kim Mulford

CDC: HEROIN RATES ARE ON THE RISE

Heroin use is rising across the United States, and the greatest
increases are among women, and people with private insurance and
higher incomes.

That's according to the latest Vital Signs report from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug
Administration.

Nearly all heroin users also use other substances. The strongest risk
factor for heroin addiction is a prescription opioid use disorder, the
report found.

More people are dying from heroin overdoses, with rates nearly
doubling between 2011 and 2013. About 120 people die daily in the
United States from a drug overdose.

CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said the alarming increase requires an
improvement in prescribing practices; expanded access to treatment,
including medication-assisted treatment; increased use of naloxone to
reverse overdoses, and the reduction of heroin availability. The
agency also recommends making prescription drug monitoring programs
timely and easy to use, so health care providers can make informed
decisions before prescribing certain painkillers.

People most at risk of heroin abuse include non-Hispanic whites, men,
18-to-25 year-olds, people with low incomes, the uninsured and
Medicaid recipients.

For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose
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MAP posted-by: Matt