Why Heroin Addiction is Rising While Other Drug Addiction is Declining

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Public health experts are proud of the drop in drug addiction rates in recent years. The addiction rates to almost every drug have fallen dramatically since 2002 in adults and young people. In 2025, the Associated Press reported a 14% drop in drug overdose deaths from the previous year.

Heroin rates have also dropped. According to the CDC, rates dropped 33.3% from 2022 to 2023. Although the rates are dropping, the raw numbers are still high. Here’s how heroin addiction treatment can help to change it.

Common Links Between Heroin and Prescription Drug Use

Prescription opiate use was initially linked to the rise in heroin addiction that peaked in 2015. Most people become addicted to opiate medication by accident after using a prescription for legitimate medical purposes. But not everyone develops an opiate addiction after taking the medication for pain relief. Some people use opioid medications such as hydrocodone or oxycodone for recreational purposes.

Prescription painkillers may function as a gateway drug for illegal heroin use. But the profile of typical heroin or non-medical painkiller users is different than the image you might expect. Rates of painkiller addiction began declining with education to prescribing physicians, which in turn has affected the rate of heroin abuse.

The average age of first use of non-medical prescription opioids and first use of heroin is similar, around age 23. According to the Centers for Disease Control, addiction to heroin and prescription opiate medications go hand in hand.

Why Prescription Opiate Users Move on to Heroin

Most heroin addicts started out abusing opiate drugs.

Prescription opiate medications such as Norco and OxyContin are not as easy to get as they once were. Doctors are following new guidelines that limit such prescriptions. Whether people start using these drugs following a major surgery or are doing so for non-medical, recreational purposes, the supply tends to be limited. Because the drugs are so addictive, it doesn’t take long to build a high tolerance and require a larger dose to get the same high.

Many addicts turn to illegal doctor shopping to try to get more prescriptions, but this method is difficult and offers little success. Some people turn to desperate acts to get the drugs, such as robbing pharmacies. But it doesn’t take long for most prescription opioid addicts to figure out that heroin provides a more reliable supply. Heroin is not only more accessible than prescription drugs but tends to be cheaper as well.

Why Heroin is Riskier than Prescription Opiate Medication

There’s no question that prescription opioids like OxyContin are dangerous and addictive, particularly if they’re taken with other substances that depress the respiratory system, such as alcohol or Xanax. But even though prescription opiates are dangerous in themselves, heroin is much more so.

People who move on from prescription opioids to heroin usually don’t have experience with intravenous drug use. This method of drug administration is much riskier. IV drug administration presents the risk of introducing air bubbles into the veins, which can be fatal.

The quality of heroin supply is not regulated like prescription medication, which makes it more likely to get a bad batch. Heroin can be mixed with dangerous drugs such as fentanyl, which is more likely to cause a fatal overdose. The purity in batches of heroin can significantly vary as well. If a user gets a batch that is much purer than what their body is accustomed to, a fatal overdose is also much more likely.

Heroin has always been around in our society, but it’s troubling news that it’s on the increase again. Fortunately, heroin addiction treatment can help people live healthier, addiction-free lives.

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