Heroin Research Report
What is the scope of heroin use in the United States?

All data refer to the United States population.

How many people use heroin?

• Among people aged 12 or older in 2021, 0.4% (or about 1.1 million people) reported using heroin in the past 12 months (2021 DT 1.1).
  Source: 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health*

How many young students use heroin?

• In 2022, an estimated 0.3% of 8^th graders, 0.2% of 10^th graders, and 0.3% of 12^th graders reported using heroin in the past 12 months.
  Source: 2022 Monitoring the Future Survey

How many people have a heroin use disorder?

• Among people aged 12 or older in 2021, an estimated 0.4% (or about 1.0 million people) had a heroin use disorder in the past 12 months (2021 DT 5.1).
  Source: 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health*

How many people die from heroin overdose?

• In 2020, approximately 13,165 people died from an overdose involving heroin. Learn more about overdose death rates.
  Source: CDC WONDER Database

*The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on data collection for the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). For more information, please see the 2021 NSDUH Frequently Asked Questions from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.