QuickStats: Rates of Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Heroin,* by Selected Age Groups — United States, 2006–2015
Weekly / January 6, 2017 / 65(52);1497
* Drug overdose deaths involving heroin are identified using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision underlying cause of death codes X40–X44, X60–X64, X85, and Y10–Y14, with a multiple cause of death code of T40.1. During 2006, there were 2,088 drug overdose deaths involving heroin (age-adjusted rate of 0.7 per 100,000 population); during 2015, there were 12,989 deaths (age-adjusted rate of 4.1).
The rate of drug overdose deaths involving heroin increased slightly during 2006–2010 but more than tripled during 2010–2015 for all age groups shown. During 2010–2015, the rates increased from 1.2 to 3.8 per 100,000 for persons aged 15–24 years, from 2.2 to 9.7 for persons aged 25–34 years, from 1.6 to 7.4 for persons aged 35–44 years, from 1.4 to 5.6 for persons aged 45–54 years, and from 0.7 to 3.4 for persons aged 55–64 years. In 2015, the rate of drug overdose deaths involving heroin was highest for persons aged 25–34.
Source: National Vital Statistics System mortality data. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm.
Reported by: Holly Hedegaard, MD, hdh6@cdc.gov, 301-458-4460; Margaret Warner, PhD; Arialdi M. Miniño, MPH.
Suggested citation for this article: QuickStats: Rates of Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Heroin, by Selected Age Groups — United States, 2006–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;65:1497. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6552a12external icon.
For more information on this topic, CDC recommends the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/states/index.html.
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