ABSTRACT
Heroin addiction continues to be an important menace to health and safety in the United States despite a committed public effort to control it. According to a recent survey, at least 500,000 individuals in the United States are currently estimated to be dependent on heroin or other opioids. This same survey suggested that about 1 % of adults have tried heroin at least once (Gfroerer, 1996). Although generally perceived to be a drug of the 1960s, heroin is resurfacing as an important public health menace. Its use is rising, especially among young adult, middle income, and suburban groups. High purity and low cost are partially responsible for this escalation in popularity. Formerly addicted individuals are also being drawn back into drug use as a result of these factors (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 1996).
