HEROIN USE MORE THAN DOUBLES AMONG YOUTHS

The number of Colorado young adults seeking treatment for heroin use
has more than doubled since 1993, according to state officials. State
admissions for heroin treatment for those ages 18 to 25 rose from 148
in 1993, or 8.9 percent of total admissions, to 346 in 1999, or 16.7
percent of admissions, said Bruce Mendelson, data analyst for the
state Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division. Officials also noted an
increase in hepatitis C among those who inject heroin. More than a
third of young adults in Denver who inject heroin have the
blood-borne disease.