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Heroin Trends

Information on heroin trends from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that in 2009 over 179K people over the age of twelve were first-time heroin users (over the past year). This report noted that the rate of first-time heroin users was above the yearly average of first-time heroin users from the years 2002 through 2008 at just over 100K; estimates during 2002 to 2008 ranged from 91,000 to 118,000 per year. Furthermore in 2009, of first-time user from twelve to forty-nine years old, the average age was 25.5 years old.

Heroin trends from 2002 to 2009 indicate that the percentage of young people ages twelve to seventeen at great risk went down when it came to these pattersn of substance abuse: weekly heroin use (79.5 to 78.0 %), trying heroin only a couple times (57.2 to 56.0 %), using LSD only a couple of times (from 51.2 to 47.5 %), weekly cocaine use (78.7 to 77.2 %), and weekly LSD use (from 75.1 to 72.6 $). There were no noticable differences in the rates of young people from ages twelve to seventeen suggesting high risk in partaking in cocaine use once per month.

In 2009 about fifty percent of young people ages twelve to seventeen indicated that it is a simple taks to get marijuana. One in eight (12.9 percent) reported that is pretty easy to obtain herion, and 13.5 percent reported so for LSD. Between 2002 and 2009, the availability of marijuana perception was decreased (49.0% to 39.9%), cocaine (25.0% to 20.9%), crack (25.3% to 22.1%), LSD (18% to 13.5%), and heroin (14.8% to 12.9%). Cocaine availability perception decreased from 22.1% in 2008 to 20.9% in 2009.

Heroin is derived from morphine, often found in many medications and which occurs naturally in certain types poppy plant seeds. Heroin is usually smoked, snorted or injected. The most usual method of taking heroin is by injection. The fear of tranmitting diseases (like Hep-C or HIV) by sharing needles has increased the popularity of norting and smoking heroin. Heroin trends and data compiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse has shown that no matter which method is used to take the drug, it is still as addictive. The age group that is most likely to become addicted to heroin are teenagers, as seen by current heroin trends (from 2007 statistics):

  • Eight Graders who have used herion: Just under 1.5%
  • Tenth Graders who have used heroin: 1.2%
  • Twelveth Graders who have used heroin: 1.3%
  • College Students who have used heroin: Approximately half a percent.
  • Ages nineteen to twenty-eight who have used heroin: 1.6%.

State and Federal inmates are the majority of the population abusing heroin (data provided by Bureau of Justice).

  • State inmates who have ever used heroin: 23.4%.
  • Federal inmates who have ever used heroin: 17.9%.
  • State inmates who were abusing heroin at the time of crime: 4.4%.
  • Federal inmates whowere abusing heroin at time of crime: 3.2%.

Some cities in America show the highest abuse of heroin. From 2008 data and heroin trends, these cities have shown a raised level of heroin abuse:

  • Past 12 Month Heroin Use for Minneapolis is 4.0%.
  • Past 12 Month Heroin Use for Portland is 10.2%.
  • Past 12 Month Heroin Use for Chicago is 26.7%.
  • Past 12 Month Heroin Use for Washington, D.C. is 4.3%.