One area of concern: an upward trend in heroin use. In 2012, 669,000 Americans said they’d used heroin in the past year, compared with 373,000 in 2007. There’s been a small uptick in heroin users aged 18-25 years. And there’s been a big increase over the last decade in the number of Americans who would be classified under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as having heroin dependence, according to the report. In 2012, 467,000 people would be labeled dependent, compared with 214,000 in 2002. Last year, 450,000 Americans received treatment for heroin abuse.
Overall, 4 million Americans over the age of 12 (1.5% of the population) received alcohol or illicit drug use treatment. That number and percentage have basically stayed the same since 2002. In 2012, the largest number of those who received treatment – 2.4 million – reported receiving treatment for alcohol use. Next came treatment for pain relievers (973,000), and third was marijuana use (957,000).
An estimated 23 million Americans (8% of the nation) needed treatment; 2.5 million received care in a specialized facility. Of the 21 million who did not get care, only 1 million said they felt that they actually needed treatment, according to SAMHSA. In that group, some 31% said they’d made an effort but could not get into a program. The primary reason was "a lack of insurance coverage and inability to pay the cost," said the SAMHSA report.
"Expanding prevention, treatment, and support for people in recovery for substance use disorders will be our guide as we work to address other emerging challenges, including the recent uptick in heroin use shown in this survey," Mr. Kerlikowske said.
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