Heroin Overdose Deaths On The Rise, Maryland Report Says

Heroin overdose deaths have climbed while prescription painkiller overdose deaths have dropped in Maryland, according to a new report by the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The state posted a 41 percent increase in heroin overdose deaths, to 205 in the first seven months of the year from 145 over the same period last year, according to the report. Overdose deaths from prescription drugs like oxycodone and hydrocodone dropped from 208 to 177 over the same time period.

The data seem to support a trend in which experts say prescription painkiller abusers move on to heroin due to the latter's inexpensive price and potent high.
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