non-Hispanic whites — demographic groups that historically had lower rates of heroin use.
The report stated that people with the highest odds for developing a heroin abuse disorder are those with an opioid pain reliever abuse disorder, followed by those with cocaine abuse disorders, a history of marijuana abuse, and a history of alcohol abuse or dependence.
“In fact, nearly 80 percent of recent heroin initiates reported that they began their opioid use through the nonmedical use of prescription opioid medications,” the Surgeon General’s recent report on addiction stated.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s report titled Facing Addiction in America also pointed to the uptick in heroin abuse, declaring that heroin overdoses were more than five times higher in 2014 than in 2004.
In a recent interview with PBS, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said as a physician he was “shocked by the number of patients who came under my care with a substance use disorder. When I became Surgeon General and had the privilege of traveling around the country and hearing people’s stories first hand, I found that every community I went to was touched in some way by substance use disorder.”
Author: Cesar Gamboa
Cesar Gamboa is a staff reporter and editor for Addiction Now covering topics ranging from legislation to scientific studies. He was previously a general assignment reporter for the Orange County Register. SoCal raised, lover of books, and avid mountain biker (when he wants to be). He can be reached at cesarg@addictionnow.com.
