Heroin overdose deaths double in U.S.

Heroin overdoses doubled from 2010 to 2012, U.S. federal health officials reported, according to CBS.

This big increase in heroin-related deaths is directly tied to the epidemic of narcotic painkiller abuse.

“There is a growing population of people who are using narcotics, whether the prescription variety or heroin,” said study co-author Dr. Len Paulozzi, a medical epidemiologist at CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

What you can do (from Ventura County Limits)

Get the facts. There are many parent resources that will help you. Learn more about tips on how to talk to your children about drug and alcohol issues.

• Ventura County Behavioral Health. What You Need to Know about Rx Abuse & Heroin.

• NIDA for Teens. Drug Facts: Heroin.

• See the Drug Guide: Heroin at drugfree.org.

• See PEERx: Teen Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention website, an online educational initiative to discourage abuse of prescription drugs among teens. This is a helpful and easy to read site for your teens and helps to start the dialogue about drug abuse.

• Rx & Heroin Abuse: Ventura County RESPONDS

Related links/sources:

• U.S. heroin overdose deaths more than double in two years – PBS News
• ?Heroin overdose deaths double in U.S. – CBS
• 48 Hours: The War in Chicago – CBS
• Vermont faces opiate drug abuse crisis – CBS
• Rx and Heroin: What You Can Do – Ventura County Limits