NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

In 2002, heroin/morphine was indicated in 192 drug
abuse deaths—more than any other drug among the
419 total drug abuse deaths (45.8 percent). Sixty of
those mentions were single-drug (heroin/morphine
only) deaths.
In 2002, the heroin ED mentions rate of 111 per
100,000 population was similar to that of the 2 previous
years.
The 2002 ED rates by gender show that the heroin
rate for males was more than two times the rate for
females (152 vs. 72 per 100,000 population). The
highest rate by an age group (311 per 100,000 population)
occurred among those age 26–29. A 2-year
rate increase of 215 percent was seen among those
age 18–19.
In the unweighted data accessed from DAWN Live!
for the first half of 2004, there were 1,491 heroin
reports.
BEMS data reveal 716 heroin overdose calls for
medical services in the city during 2003. Of these, 72
percent were for males and 28 percent were for females.
Narcan was administered to 41 percent of the
patients, and of these, more than 90 percent responded.
In Greater Boston in FY 2004, there were 9,621
treatment admissions (48 percent of all admissions)
with clients reporting heroin as their primary drug,
and 9,109 mentions (46 percent of all admissions) of
current (past-month) heroin use among those admitted
to State-funded treatment programs (exhibit 2).
The percent reporting heroin as their primary drug in
FY 2004 was stable from FY 2003 but reflected increases
of 11 percent from FY 2002 and 68 percent
from FY 1997. Similarly, the percent of mentions of
current (past-month) heroin use in FY 2004 was stable
from FY 2003, but this reflected increases of 7
percent from FY 2002 and 62 percent from FY 1997.
The gender distribution of heroin primary drug treatment
admissions in FY 2004 (73 percent male and 27
percent female) represent a slight shift from FY 2003,
with a 3-percent decrease in the male proportion and
an 8-percent increase in the female proportion (exhibit
4b).
While one heroin treatment cohort is aging, a
younger cohort is emerging. As a result, the mean age
of those admitted to heroin treatment in FY 2004 was
stable at 35.5 years. The percentage of admissions
aged 30–39 (32 percent) decreased 10 percent from
40
EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—Greater Boston
FY 2003 and 28 percent from FY 1997. During the
same time periods, the percentages of admissions
younger than 30 increased 8 percent and 14 percent,
and admissions age 40 and older increased 4 percent
and 34 percent, respectively.
The FY 2004 racial distribution for heroin admissions
(58 percent White, 16 percent Black, and 23 percent
Hispanic) continued to reflect a trend of increasing
White percentages (up 20 percent from FY 1997) and
decreasing Black percentages (down 38 percent from
FY 1997) (exhibit 4b). The percentage of heroin admissions
reporting being homeless (41 percent) increased
42 percent from FY 1997. Seventy-three
percent of those in treatment for heroin as their primary
drug of abuse reported needle use in the past
year.
There were 939 Class A (mainly heroin and other
opiates) drug arrests in 2003 (exhibit 5). The proportion
of Class A drug arrests among all drug arrests in
the city of Boston in 2003 (23 percent) was stable
from 2002 but a decrease of 15 percent from 2001.
The proportion of Class A male arrests in 2003 (87
percent) reflected a 4-percent increase from 2002 and
an 8-percent increase from 1997. The proportion of
Class A arrests among those age 20–24 in 2003 (15
percent) reflected a 63-percent increase from 1997.
In 2003, 1,419 seized samples of heroin (15 percent of
all drug samples) were analyzed. The proportion of
heroin samples among all drug samples analyzed did
not change from 2002 to 2003, but it decreased 19
percent from 2001 to 2003.
Heroin was self-identified as a substance of abuse in
2,230 calls to the Helpline in FY 2004 (representing 40
percent of all calls). The proportion of heroin Helpline
call mentions increased 9 percent from FY 2003 to FY
2004.
The DEA reports that in Boston, street heroin costs
$6–$20 per bag, with an average purity of 40 percent
and is “readily available” throughout the New England
area (exhibit 6).
Narcotic Analgesics
Narcotic analgesics, including oxycodone and other
opiates, are continuing to show alarming increases
among the various indicators.
Narcotic analgesics were mentioned 176 times
among 419 drug abuse deaths in 2002. Forty-two of
those mentions were single-drug deaths, representing
24 percent of all single-drug deaths.
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Vol. II, January 2005