Health officials, confronted with a shocking increase in heroin abuse, are developing a clearer picture of who is becoming addicted to this drug and why. The results may surprise you.
The biggest surge is among groups that have historically lower rates of heroin abuse: women and white (non-Hispanic) Americans. They tend to be 18-25 years old, with household incomes below $20,000. "In addition, persons using heroin are abusing multiple other substances, especially cocaine and opioid pain relievers," says a report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All told, more than half a million Americans used heroin in 2013, according to the report. That represents a nearly 150 percent increase since 2007.
[For more of this story, written by Richard Harris, go to http://www.npr.org/sections/he...ong-women-and-whites]
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