Concerns about heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine: prevalence and correlates of at-risk users from 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Background: The United States is currently experiencing an opioid abuse epidemic, with the number of overdoses quadrupling over the past decade. Despite acknowledgement that this is a key clinical and public health issue, little is known about the demographic profile of those most at-risk for abuse of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine and where users obtain these drugs. Methods: This study used a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Participants included 72,600 eligible non-institutionalized civilians over age 12. A comparison of abusers of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine was done using Chi-square analysis. Logistic regression was performed to examine the effect of key variables on drug abuse. Results: Of the 51,200 survey respondents, 223 reported abuse of heroin, 1,251 of cocaine, and 390 of methamphetamine. A significant number of male respondents reported heroin abuse (58.30% vs. 41.70%), cocaine abuse (59.87% vs. 40.13%) and methamphetamine abuse (58.64% vs. 41.54%) compared to female respondents. Logistic regression highlighted significant predictors of abuse including: male gender, age 26-54 years, non-Hispanic white ethnicity, unemployment and no health insurance coverage. The majority of respondents identifying as abusers of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine reported obtained prescription drugs from non-pharmaceutical sources, such as buying them from a friend or relative or getting them for free, stealing from a doctor and purchasing from drug dealers. Conclusion: As the instance of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine abuse rises, tailored preventative measures and response efforts are critical. These findings indicate key demographic predictors of abuse and where the drugs are primarily obtained, informing current public health and clinical strategies and guiding combative policy development.