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Article: Heroin 'epidemic' takes grip
- Article from:
- The Patriot Ledger Quincy, MA
- Article date:
- December 18, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2002 The Patriot Ledger Quincy, MA. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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State House News Service
BOSTON - Heroin use in the state has risen sharply over the past
decade, particularly among young men ages 18 to 24 who are buying
cheaper and purer forms of the drug, state officials reported
yesterday. Heroin addiction now matches alcohol abuse as the No. 1
reason people in the state seek treatment, Department of Public
Health officials said. The spike in heroin use - seen throughout
New England and the West Coast - is driving up emergency room visits
and heroin-related deaths, according the report. Household surveys
are traditionally used to measure trends in drug use. The rise in
heroin use was gauged by increases in hospitalizations, enrollment at ...