"Among people aged 12 or older, the percentage who were past year heroin users increased from 0.2 percent (or 404,000 people) in 2002 to 0.3 percent (or 745,000 people) in 2019 (Figure 14 and 2019 DT 7.2). The percentage of people in 2019 who were past year heroin users was higher than the percentages in most years from 2002 to 2008, but it was similar to the percentages in 2009 to 2018.
"Aged 12 to 17
"Among adolescents aged 12 to 17 in 2019, the estimates of past year heroin use were not reported due to low statistical precision (Figure 14 and 2019 DT 7.5).11 However, the estimate of past year heroin use among adolescents in 2018 was lower than the estimates for most years from 2002 through 2014, but it was similar to the estimates in 2015 to 2017.27 About 0.1 to 0.2 percent of adolescents used heroin in any year from 2002 to 2017.
"Aged 18 to 25
"Among young adults aged 18 to 25 in 2019, 0.3 percent (or 87,000 people) were past year heroin users (Figure 14 and 2019 DT 7.11). The percentage in 2019 was lower than those in 2005 to 2018 (ranging from 0.4 to 0.8 percent), but it was similar to those in 2002 to 2004.
"Aged 26 or Older
"Among adults aged 26 or older, the percentage who were past year heroin users increased from 0.1 percent (or 231,000 people) in 2002 to 0.3 percent (or 658,000 people) in 2019 (Figure 14 and 2019 DT 7.14). These estimates of past year heroin use in 2019 were higher than those in most years from 2002 through 2013, but they were similar to those in 2014 to 2018."
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP20-07-01-001, NSDUH Series H-55). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
