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Although heroin abuse has trended downward during the past couple
of years, its prevalence is still higher than in the early 1990s.
These relatively high rates of abuse, together with the significant
heroin abuse we are now seeing among school-age youth, the glamorization
of heroin in music and films, changing patterns of drug use, and
heroin's increased purity and decreased prices, make it imperative
that the public have the latest scientific information on this topic.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has developed this publication
to provide an overview of the latest research findings on heroin
abuse and addiction.
Heroin is a highly addictive drug, and its abuse has repercussions
that extend far beyond the individual user. The health and social
consequences of drug abuse - HIV/AIDS, violence, tuberculosis, fetal
effects, crime, and disruptions in family, workplace, and educational
environments - have a devastating impact on society and cost billions
of dollars each year.
Fortunately, the availability of treatments to manage opiate addiction
and the promise of new treatments from research provide hope for
individuals who suffer from addiction and for those around them. |
