SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Heroin use is on the rise, more than doubling among young adults over the past ten years. Those are the findings of recent research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which also finds a connection to

PHOTO: A recent CDC report finds that heroin use and abuse in the U.S. is rising among most age groups and income levels, and cites a connection to prescription painkillers. Photo credit: earl53/Morguefile.
PHOTO: A recent CDC report finds that heroin use and abuse in the U.S. is rising among most age groups and income levels, and cites a connection to prescription painkillers. Photo credit: earl53/Morguefile.

prescription painkillers.

Heroin use and abuse in the U.S. is rising among most age groups and income levels, according to a recent report from the CDC. Usage has risen the fastest, more than doubling, for young adults.

In Illinois last year, more than 600 people died from a heroin overdose. The reasons behind the rise are complicated, says CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden. But one thing is clear – there’s a connection to opioid prescription painkiller addiction.

Frieden says the chemical is essentially the same. So, when heroin is five-times cheaper and much more widely available, it becomes something that’s driving the trend of rapid increase in heroin use.

It may be a case of unintended consequences, with Frieden explaining that prescription painkillers became harder to obtain after limits were imposed because of addiction concerns.

The CDC report says 45-percent of those who have used heroin had been dependent on prescription painkillers. Another finding: people without health coverage are more likely to use heroin.

There’s also been a national uptick in heroin overdose deaths, more than 8,000 in 2013. Frieden says quality and potency varies on the street, and overdose-reverse medications aren’t always readily available in emergency rooms, although he says that needs to change. He underscores the need to keep opioid painkillers as medical treatment options despite the heroin connection, with pros and cons weighed carefully.

According to Frieden, if someone has excruciating pain from a surgical procedure, a car crash, or a severe, terminal pain from cancer, you want to provide relief. For chronic non-cancer pain, they really have to look at the risks and benefits.

Recommendations for stemming the tide of heroin abuse include increased access to treatment, including medication-assisted treatments; recognition of the link between past prescription painkiller dependence and future heroin use; and pain treatment plans for chronic sufferers that include options beyond medications.

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