Characteristics of Adolescent Heroin Admissions

摘要

Heroin is a highly addictive opiate with a large potential for abuse. It poses a considerable danger for adolescents, potentially resulting in serious psychological, social, educational, and legal consequences. Heroin use can also result in significant health problems including overdose and death, and, if sharing needles or other injection equipment, exposure to HIV, hepatitis C, and other diseases. Using data from the 2007 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), this report examines the characteristics of substance abuse treatment admissions aged 12 to 17 reporting heroin abuse. TEDS collects information on up to three substances of abuse at the time of admission. Of the approximately 132,000 adolescent substance abuse treatment admissions in 2007, slightly more than 1,600 reported heroin as a primary, secondary, or tertiary substance of abuse. Understanding the characteristics of adolescent admissions reporting heroin abuse may help treatment providers offer age-appropriate services, including behavioral support and pharmacotherapy, to help reduce heroin use and associated negative consequences in this population.