ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2016
Predictors of transition to heroin use among initially non-opioid dependent illicit pharmaceutical opioid users: A natural history study.
Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 98 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
98 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Community viral load and hepatitis C virus infection: Community viral load measures to aid public health treatment efforts and program evaluation.Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology · 2020Pooled it
- Current perspectives on the opioid crisis in the US healthcare system: A comprehensive literature review.Medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Opioid prescription patterns in Germany and the global opioid epidemic: Systematic review of available evidence.PloS one · 2019Pooled it
- Article
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- Integrating Training in Opioid Overdose Response in Medical Schools' Curricula: A Systematic Review.Medical science educator · 2025Review
- A Randomized Trial Evaluating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Smart Phone Care Management Application to Augment Buprenorphine Therapy for Opioid Use and Chronic Pain.Substance use & addiction journal · 2025Article
- Decrease in injection and rise in smoking and snorting of heroin and synthetic opioids, 2000-2021.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2024Article
- Correlates of fentanyl preference among people who use drugs in Rhode Island.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- Differential etiologic associations of heroin use and prescription opioid misuse with psychopathology.Journal of psychopathology and clinical science · 2024Article
- Predictors of engagement in screening for a hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment trial in a rural Appalachian community.Journal of viral hepatitis · 2024Article
- Estimated effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of opioid use disorder treatment under proposed U.S. regulatory relaxations: A model-based analysis.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2024Article
- Predicting first use of heroin from prescription opioid use subtypes: Insights from the Monitoring the Future longitudinal panel.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2024Article
- An individual segmented trajectory approach for identifying opioid use patterns using longitudinal dispensing data.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2024Article
- Causation and Common Liability in the Progression of the U.S. Opioid Crisis.Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs · 2024Article
- Oxycodone: A Current Perspective on Its Pharmacology, Abuse, and Pharmacotherapeutic Developments.Pharmacological reviews · 2023Review
- Pharmacological and Physicochemical Properties Optimization for Dual-Target Dopamine DJournal of medicinal chemistry · 2023Article
- The association between cannabis use and risk of non-medical pain reliever misuse onset among young adults in a legal cannabis context.Addictive behaviors · 2023Article
- Disparities in postoperative opioid prescribing by race and ethnicity: an electronic health records-based observational study from Northern California, 2015-2020.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2023Article
38 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIncreases in illicit pharmaceutical opioid (PO) use have been associated with risk for transition to heroin use. We identify predictors of transition to heroin use among young, illicit PO users with no history of opioid dependence or heroin use at baseline.
methodsRespondent-driven sampling recruited 383 participants; 362 returned for at least one biannual structured interview over 36 months. Cox regression was used to test for associations between lagged predictors and hazard of transition to heroin use. Potential predictors were based on those suggested in the literature. We also computed population attributable risk (PAR) and the rate of heroin transition.
resultsOver 36 months, 27 (7.5%) participants initiated heroin use; all were white, and the rate of heroin initiation was 2.8% per year (95% CI=1.9%-4.1%). Mean length of PO at first reported heroin use was 6.2 years (SD=1.9). Lifetime PO dependence (AHR=2.39, 95% CI=1.07-5.48; PAR=32%, 95% CI=-2% to 64%), early age of PO initiation (AHR=3.08, 95%; CI=1.26-7.47; PAR=30%, 95% CI=2%-59%), using illicit POs to get high but not to self-medicate a health problem (AHR=4.83, 95% CI=2.11-11.0; PAR=38%, 95% CI=12%-65%), and ever using PO non-orally most often (AHR=6.57, 95% CI=2.81-17.2; PAR=63%, 95% CI=31%-86%) were significant predictors.
conclusionThis is one of the first prospective studies to test observations from previous cross-sectional and retrospective research on the relationship between illicit PO use and heroin initiation among young, initially non-opioid dependent PO users. The results provide insights into targets for the design of urgently needed prevention interventions.
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