The growth in abuse of heroin is now considered the number one drug threat by the nation’s police, overtaking methamphetamine, according to a new survey by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Heroin availability is up across the country, as are abuses, overdoses, and overdose deaths,” says the 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary, released Wednesday.
Law enforcement seizures of heroin have nearly doubled in the past five years, and the number of heroin users is up 51%, according to the latest findings from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Abuse of prescription drugs, especially painkillers, remains high — totaling more…
Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- The Fall of Roe and the Failure of the Feminist Industrial Complex
- What Trump Knew About January 6
- Follow the Algae Brick Road to Plant-Based Buildings
- The Education of Glenn Youngkin
- The Benefits and Challenges of Cutting Back on Meat
- Here's Everything New on Netflix in July 2022—and What's Leaving
- Women in Northern Ireland Still Struggle to Access Abortion More Than 2 Years After Decriminalization
Read More From TIME