http://goo.gl/0iBfvQ
The findings from the National Center for Heath Statistics (NCHS) report state that the age-adjusted rate of deaths involving heroin increased from 0.7 deaths per 100,000 to 2.7 per 100,000 during this period, with the majority of this rise occurring after 2010.
Drug poisoning (overdosing) is the number one cause of injury-related death in the US. In 2013, a total of 43,982 deaths across the country were attributed to drug poisoning.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in 2011, around 4.2 million Americans aged 12 and above (1.6% of the population) had used heroin at least once in their lives. Experts believe that almost a quarter (23%) of individuals that use heroin go on to develop a dependency on the drug.
There was also a regional shift in where drug-poisoning deaths involving heroin were most prevalent. While increases were observed in all regions of the US, the biggest increase was found in the Midwest region, where death rates grew to almost 11 times the number - from 0.4 to 4.3 per 100,000 - between 2000 and 2013. In 2000, the Northeast and West regions had the highest rates.