Heroin Statistics

Heroin Statistics - Amount of Heroin Use

Heroin Statistics According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 3.8 million Americans aged 12 or older reported trying heroin at least once during their lifetimes, representing 1.5% of the population aged 12 or older. Approximately 453,000 (0.2%) reported past year heroin use and 213,000 (0.1%) reported past month heroin use. In 2008, there were 114,000 persons aged 12 or older who had used heroin for the first time within the past 12 months. The average age at first use among recent initiates aged 12 to 49 was 23.4 years in 2008. There were no significant changes in the number of initiates or in the average age at first use from 2007 to 2008. The number of heroin initiates was not significantly different from the number in 2002 (117,000).

Among students surveyed as part of the 2008 Monitoring the Future study, 1.4% of eighth graders, 1.2% of tenth graders, and 1.3% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use of heroin.

Percent of Students Reporting Heroin Use, 2008


	8th Grade	10th Grade	12th Grade
Past month use	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%
Past year use	0.9	0.8	0.7
Lifetime use	1.4	1.2	1.3

Heroin Statistics - Risk Assesment

Approximately 75.5% of eighth graders, 83.1% of tenth graders, and 73.2% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2008 reported that using heroin occasionally without a needle was a great risk. Additionally, approximately 86.4% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2008 reported that using heroin regularly was a great risk.

Percent of Students Reporting Risk of Using Heroin, 2008


Percent Saying “Great Risk”	8th Grade	10th Grade	12th Grade
Try once/twice w/o needle	60.8%	70.8%	60.8%
Use occasionally w/o needle	75.5	83.1	73.2

Regarding the ease by which one can obtain heroin, 13.3% of eighth graders, 17.2% of tenth graders, and 25.4% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2008 reported that heroin was "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain.

Heroin Statistics - Lifetime Use

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also conducts a survey of high school students throughout the United States called the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Among students surveyed for the 2007 YRBSS, 2.3% reported using heroin at least one time during their lifetimes.

Percent of Students Reporting Lifetime Heroin Use, 2003-2007


	2003	2005	2007
9th grade	3.5%	2.8%	2.6%
10th grade	2.9	2.5	1.8
11th grade	3.0	1.8	1.8
12th grade	2.9	2.0	2.6
Total	3.3	2.4	2.3

Approximately 0.5% of college students and 1.6% of young adults (ages 19-28) surveyed in 2007 reported lifetime use of heroin.

Percent of College Students/Young Adults Reporting Heroin Use, 2006–2007


	College Students		Young Adults
	2006	2007	2006	2007
Past month	0.2%	0.1%	0.2%	0.1%
Past year	0.3	0.2	0.4	0.3
Lifetime	0.7	0.5	1.9	1.6

Heroin Statistics - Criminal Justice

According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 23.4% of State prisoners and 17.9% of Federal prisoners surveyed in 2004 indicated that they used heroin/opiate at some point in their lives.

Percent of Prisoners Reporting Heroin/Opiate Use, 1997 and 2004


	State Prisoners		Federal Prisoners
	1997	2004	1997	2004
At time of offense	5.6%	4.4%	3.0	3.2
In month before offense	9.2	8.2	5.4	5.8
Regularly*	15.0	13.1	8.9	9.2
Ever in lifetime	24.5	23.4	16.1	17.9
* Used drugs at least once a week for at least a month.

During FY 2004, there were 32,980 Federal arrests for drug law violations, 1,881 of which were for heroin. Additionally, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported 2,273 arrests for opiates in FY 2004.

During FY 2008, there were 1,476 Federal offenders sentenced for heroin-related charges in U.S. Courts. Approximately 97.3% of these cases involved trafficking and 0.8% of cases involved simple possession.

Heroin Statistics - Heroin Treatment

From 1997 to 2007, the number of admissions to treatment in which heroin was the primary drug of abuse increased from 235,143 in 1997 to 246,871 in 2007. Heroin admissions represented 14.6% of the total drug/alcohol admissions to treatment during 1997 and 13.6% of the treatment admissions in 2007. The average age of those admitted to treatment for heroin during 2007 was 36 years.

Heroin Facts

A Canadian study published in HealthDay in 2009 concludes that heroin administered in a clinical setting was more effective than methadone for keeping some addicts enrolled in treatment programs. Research funded by the NIDA suggests that rapid, anesthesia-assisted detoxification is risky and no more effective than conventional methods.

Heroin is an illicit opiate drug capable of causing addiction and a host of health problems. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 3.7 million people have used heroin at some time in their lives. Learning to recognize the signs of heroin abuse is an important step in helping prevent addiction, overdose and heroin-related crime.

Cotton balls, syringes and alcohol wipes are commonly used heroin paraphernalia. Heroin abuse can cause drastic physical changes in the user. One telltale sign of heroin abuse is the presence of needle marks on the arms, legs or feet. "Nodding out" (appearing to fall asleep suddenly) is a sign of acute heroin intoxication, as are dilated pupils and slurred speech. Changes in weight and sleeping patterns are also common among opiate abusers. Some users may neglect personal hygiene and nutrition, causing them to appear disheveled or disoriented. Pale skin and dark circles under the eyes can also signal a heroin abuse problem.

In addition to physical changes, heroin abuse can cause profound effects on emotion and cognitive functioning. Many users appear lethargic or unmotivated and may have unpredictable mood swings. Cognitive functions like memory and problem-solving are often impaired, which may cause frustration for the user. Symptoms typical of depression, such as loss of interest in hobbies and lowered sex drive, can also signal heroin abuse. Some users report an increased craving for sweets, which may lead to excessive sugar consumption and weight gain.

Most heroin users experience withdrawal from time to time. While not typically dangerous for a healthy person, heroin withdrawal can be extremely unpleasant and generally resembles a bad case of the flu. Psychological withdrawal effects may include a worsening of pre-existing conditions, such as anxiety or bipolar disorder. Depression and low mood are common even for those without pre-existing mental illness and may persist long after physical withdrawals have ended. Feelings of restlessness and irritability are often present and may be aggravated by withdrawal-related insomnia.

Physical signs of heroin withdrawal generally involve the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts and include vomiting, diarrhea, runny nose and coughing. Rebound pain and flu-like symptoms, such as fever and chills, are common effects, as is restless leg syndrome, which spawned the common phrase "kicking" the habit.

Because of the legal, financial and psychological consequences of heroin abuse, most users will exhibit noticeable changes in behavior and lifestyle. Heroin users often lose interest in previous friends and hobbies in favor of getting high with fellow addicts. Previously ambitious, self-motivated people may become unmotivated and neglect things like personal hygiene. According to recovery professionals, a decrease in performance, such as a drop in grades or work attendance, can sometimes signal heroin abuse. Financial troubles often lead heroin abusers to request money, food or other forms of assistance from loved ones and may even drive users to commit crimes in order to maintain their habit. If you or someone you know is abusing heroin, seek professional help immediately to prevent potentially deadly outcomes. Treatment centers exist that can help treat the physical and emotional effects of drug addiction and abuse.

The solution to heroin use and addiction does not come from "get tough" crime legislation. The U.S. Controlled Substances Act bans the sale and possession of the drug – heroin cannot legally be used for any purpose in the United States. Despite serious legal consequences associated with the use and procurement of heroin, nearly four million Americans have used the drug at least once, and about 100,000 Americans will use heroin for the first time this year.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services National Household Survey on Drug Abuse Study found that, in 2001, approximately 3.1 million Americans (1.4%) 12 years old and older had used heroin at least once in their lifetime. People ages 18 to 25 reported the highest percentage of lifetime heroin use with 1.6% in 2001.

Over the years, heroin users have tended to be urban and poor -- easily overlooked and quickly forgotten. But increased potency in recent years and the spotlight of pop culture (focused on the public personal dramas of such stars as Kurt Cobain and Robert Downey, Jr. and such movies as "Pulp Fiction" and "Trainspotting"), have inspired a new generation of young, middle-class users.

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse survey found that the mean age for first time use of heroin is 20.7 years old. Unfortunately, with the development of an opiate tolerance, many people move from snorting heroin to injecting the drug to maximize the potency and potential of the high. About two-thirds of people seeking treatment for heroin addiction inject the drug.


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