Heroin is a semi synthetic opioid drug which is made from morphine. According to BBC, the United Nations estimates that, there are more than 50 million regular users of heroin, cocaine and synthetic drugs around the world.
Use of the heroin reached its peak stage in 1996 among 8th graders, it was 1.6 percent, in 1997 among 10th graders and it was 1.4 percent in 2000 among 12th graders. Since those peak levels the use has declined with annual prevalence in all three grades fluctuating between 0.7% and 0.9% from 2005 through 2009. The heroin can be administered in to the body by different methods, one of the method is through the needles. Use of the heroin with a needle has fluctuated less over time, though in 2010, 12th graders showed a significant increase to 0.7percent.
There have been some changes in the levels of the perceived risk of using heroin, the perceived risk of the heroin is nearly same in both 8th and 12th graders. The risk is high in the 10th graders with a percentage of 75.
There has been little fluctuation in the disapproval levels for heroin use over the years. Disapproval levels are high and the gap between these levels of all three graders is less. Changes that have occurred have been generally consistent with changes in perceived risk and use.
According to the MTF survey, proportion of 12th grade students saying they could get heroin fairly easily is 20 percent in 1980’s. Then after reaching peak stage around 1990’s there is gradual decrease in the availability of the heroin and it reached to nearly 22 percent in 2010 for 12th graders.