During the past decade heroin use in the United States has surged, and federal health officials noted on Tuesday that the spikes in the opioid drug's overdoses and addictions are closely linked to the current epidemic of prescription painkillers. Heroin drug use has recently increased almost two-thirds compared to a decade ago.
A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shares that 2.6 out of every thousand U.S. residents aged at least 12 years old used heroin between 2011 and 2013. The spike was a 63 percent increase since 2002 to 2004. In addition, the rate of heroin abuse or dependence skyrocketed 90 percent during the same time period, according to Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, heroin deaths increased almost four times from 2002 to 2013, according to ABC News. In 2013 the drug claimed 8,257 lives.
A grand total over half a million Americans used heroin during 2013. That figure is up almost 150 percent since 2007.
The highest rate of heroin use was among young men in cities. However, the increases in drug abuse were evident in all demographic groups.
Those groups included women, high-income people, and private insurance customers. All those groups are linked to a spike in prescription drug use during the last 10 years.
CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said that a sharp rise in the injection drug's use is "heartbreaking." That is partly due to its link to HIV.
The report also stated that 96 percent of heroin users during the past year also used other drugs such as alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine. In fact, 61 percent of heroin injectors used three or more different drugs.
Researchers noted that there is a "particularly strong" connection between heroin and prescription painkillers. Painkiller addicts are 40 times more likely to abuse heroin.
Frieden shared at a news conference on Thursday that prescription narcotics are preparing people for heroin addiction. They have the same basic chemical and effect on brains.
CDC's director called for reforms in how painkillers are prescribed. He also promoted more treatments for heroin addicts.
The study's findings were published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.