Heroin addiction increases among Caucasians in the US

unmarried individuals than married adults, between 2012 to 2013, and it was also considerably higher for whites between the same period reaching 1.9 percent — in comparison, non-whites saw a 1.1 percent.

“I hope families learn that it is important to overcome [addiction] stigma, seek treatment for a family member that has a heroin use disorder, and that treatment and prevention strategies to prevent progression from use to addiction are available, she said. “They need to know that they can seek medication–assisted treatment when a family member has a heroin addiction.”

Martins also added that families should not share prescription opioids prescribed for them with other family members.

“It is already well established that one of the most common forms of prescription opioid diversion and misuse happens when family members share their prescribed medication with others,” she said. “They also should know there is a strong association between prescription opioid misuse and later heroin use.”