Pain Meds May Lead to Heroin Usage

Drexel University’s School of Public Health may have found a link between prescription drugs and the abuse of heroin and other injected drugs. The study finds that four out of five injected-drug users used prescription opioids before seeking heroin. In fact, most injected a prescription opioid first, before turning to injected heroin.

The study also uncovers those at greatest risk:  “Access to prescription medications — either from a participant’s own source, a family member, or a friend — was a key feature of initiation into prescription drug misuse,” said lead researcher Dr. Stephen Lankenau.