Drug Use And Overdose Related Deaths Essay - 2463 Words

Describe and define the problem Heroin use and overdose related deaths have increased considerably in the United States in recent years (Jones, Logan, Gladden, Bohm, 2015). The results of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [NSDUH] (2014), showed in the year 2013, approximately 517,000 Americans abused heroin, which was almost a 150 percent increase since 2007 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2014). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA] (2014), in the year 2011, 4.2 million people who were twelve years of age or older said they used heroin at least once in their lifetime. Furthermore, data from NSDUH showed approximately 460 people, twelve years of age or older, used heroin each day in 2013 (Lipari and Hughes, 2015). An even more frightening statistic is death rates doubled for people who were twelve years of age or older as a result of heroin overdose in the years 2010 through 2012 (Hedegaard, Chen, and Warner, 2015). Th e rise of heroin use in the United States can be mostly attributed to more young adults between the ages of 18-25 using the drug. Data from NSDUH revealed heroin initiation rates by young adults during the years 2002 through 2011 was nearly two to seven times higher than the initiation rates in people were between the ages of 12-17, as well as older adults who were between the ages of 26-49 (Muhuri, Gfroerer, Davies, 2013). Additionally, in 2013, young adults had the highest rates ofShow MoreRelatedThe Rising Death Of Opioid Users970 Words   |  4 PagesThe Rising Death of Opioid Users Objective Misuse, abuse, and diversion of prescription drugs is a large and growing public health problems that have resulted in an overdose epidemic.( Hirsch) Drug overdose is an important, yet an inadequately understood, public health problem. 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