Ohio heroin abuse worse, first-time users younger

ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS

AP Legal Affairs Writer

COLUMBUS — A new state report finds that heroin is so preva­lent in Ohio it is “falling out of the sky” with many users switch­ing from more expen­sive pre­scrip­tion painkillers.

The report by the Ohio Depart­ment of Alco­hol and Drug Addic­tion Ser­vices also finds that, in some areas, chil­dren as young as 13 are start­ing on the drug.

The report released ear­lier this month found increases in heroin abuse across Ohio, with avail­abil­ity in Cleve­land con­sid­ered at epi­demic levels.

A sep­a­rate report released this month by the Ohio Depart­ment of Health cited 338 heroin-involved deaths in 2010, or one in every five drug over­dose deaths in the state.

Posted by AP News on Mar 27 2012. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS Feed. Comments can be made below.