The Centers for Disease Control recently released a report on "Drug-poisoning Deaths Involving Heroin" in the United States, 2000–2013.

The report, based on a study using data from 28 states, indicates that deaths from heroin overdose have been increasing steadily since the turn of the 21st century, with a sharp uptick between 2010 and 2013: the age-adjusted rate for heroin overdose deaths nearly quadrupled from 0.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2000 to 2.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2013.  It nearly tripled between 2010 and 2013.



While this increase can be seen in all demographics, some groups have been noticeably more affected: men, people between the ages of 25 and 44, and non-Hispanic Whites exhibit the highest rates of death from heroin overdose.  Similarly, heroin overdoses increased everywhere in the country but nowhere as much as in the Midwest, which saw a disturbing 11-fold increase.




Read more:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db190.pdf

TeachingwithData.org resources:
Respondents' perception of the Nation's progress in coping with illegal drugs (http://teachingwithdata.org/resource/2926)
Characteristics of Teen Substance Users: A Data-Driven Learning Guide (http://teachingwithdata.org/resource/3435)
Criminal Offenders Statistics (http://teachingwithdata.org/resource/3262)
International Justice Statistics (http://teachingwithdata.org/resource/3060)
Homelessness: A Data-Driven Learning Guide (http://teachingwithdata.org/resource/3244)