More suburbanites are experimenting with heroin, according to a new study of Chicago residents from Roosevelt University. Inner-city users tend to be middle aged and African-American. Suburban abusers of heroin tend to be under age 25 and white.

Chicago has the highest number of hospital admissions related to heroin in the United States. In 2008, Chicago hospitals recorded 24,000 such admissions, along with an increase in death by overdose.

Heroin is available in the suburbs for as little as $10. The young people usually start abusing prescription drugs that are opium-based, such as Vicodin and OxyContin, before they use heroin.

"I feel like we're seeing them transition from prescriptions a few years earlier than we did a few years ago," said Dr. David Lott, medical director of addiction treatment at Linden Oaks Hospital. Dr. Lott said he was concerned by the number of youth who were injecting the drug instead of snorting it.
 

Labels: young_adults, heroin

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse