The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently released a report that revealed how deaths resulting from heroin overdose have risen sharply in many states across the country. This finding was consistent in 28 states and was reflected in statistical death incidences reported in those areas. Reportedly, researchers found that more then 3600 deaths in these states or due to heroin overdose. However, the agency also noted that despite the increasing number of morbidity cases due to heroin, there are still twice as many people who are dying because of opioid overdose.
Researchers believe that there is a relevant connection between the use of opioids and heroin, seeing as there is data proving that nearly 3 out of 4 prescription opioid users have shifted to the use of heroin soon after. The CDC also found that there are two main factors that affect the escalating heroin overdose incidences. First is that there is an increasing rate of opioid prescription across the country that has led to a consequent increase in opioid abuse. The second factor is the blatant increase in the supply of heroin, which is an unsurprising fact since heroin is a type of opioid. Being from the same class of drugs, these two preparations are able to act on the same receptors in a person's brain to produce the same effects, which explains why so many people are able to switch seamlessly between the two substances.
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Tom Frieden issued an official statement saying, "Reducing inappropriate opioid prescribing remains a crucial public health strategy to address both prescription opioid and heroin overdoses. Addressing prescription opioid abuse by changing prescribing is likely to prevent heroin use in the long-term."
Researchers believe that the information uncovered in this study is a reminder of how serious the current problem is for prescription opioid abuse and its association to heroin overdose.