Whatever Happened to the Old-Fashioned Heroin Addict?

Incidence of addiction to prescription narcotics reportedly has been increasing since the introduction of OxyContin, and concern is growing about high-dose, extended-release hydrocodone, a new, potentially addicting opioid that is approved for chronic pain but is not diversion-proof. To learn about the evolving pattern of opioid addiction, researchers conducted a questionnaire study of 2797 people (mean age, 33; 79% white) reporting heroin as a primary drug and seeking addiction treatment at 150 centers around the U.S. A subset later underwent detailed Web-based interviews.

Of the participants who began using heroin in the 1960s, most were men (<80%) who began heroin use at around age 16; about half were white. Starting in 2010, narcotic use…