The New England Journal of Medicine, 2016
The studies shows:
- The transition from prescription opioid non-medical use to heroin use appears to be part of the progression of opioid addiction in a subset of opioid users.
- Increased heroin use among non-medical users of prescription opioids occurred before policies targeting prescription opioid abuse were implemented.
- Increased availability, low cost, and high purity are contributing factors often cited by heroin users.
