Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39934932›Full record

ArticleAddiction science & clinical practice2025

Comparison of heroin and fentanyl use in US nationally representative surveys.

Jarratt D Pytell, Paul J Christine, Katherine LeMasters, Karilynn M Rockhill, Joshua C Black, Richard C Dart, Ingrid A Binswanger

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Addiction science & clinical practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jarratt D PytellDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA. Jarratt.Pytell@cuanschutz.edu.
Paul J ChristineDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
Katherine LeMastersDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
Karilynn M RockhillRocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Joshua C BlackRocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Richard C DartRocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Ingrid A BinswangerDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.

Funding

The Lifespan/Brown Criminal Justice Research Program on Substance Use and HIVR25DA037190 · NIDA · MIRIAM HOSPITAL · PI CURT G BECKWITH · 2014 to 2026
$3.5M
Patient Reported Outcome Measures to Individualize Treatment And Improve ReteNtion (ReTAIN) program in primary care-based OUD treatmentK23DA060358 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI Jarratt Pytell · 2024 to 2026
$570k
NIDA NIH HHS K23 DA060358NIDA NIH HHS K23DA060358NIDA NIH HHS R25 DA037190
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGiven the opioid overdose crisis, surveillance of evolving opioid use patterns is critical to the effective deployment of mitigation strategies. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provided the first annual US estimate of illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) use in 2022. However, as a household survey, NSDUH may not capture the full extent of population heroin and IMF use. We compare estimates of past-year heroin and IMF use and correlates of use in NSDUH and the Survey of Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs (NMURx) survey which employ an alternate sampling strategy.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the 2022 NSDUH and NMURx. NSDUH samples respondents using a probability-based approach targeting community-dwelling individuals, while NMURx samples respondents using an opt-in, online survey panel. US adults ages 18 years and older were included. The main outcomes were differences in the weighted percentage of population reporting past-year use of heroin, IMF, and either heroin or IMF between the surveys. Secondary outcomes were the patterns of association of past-year heroin or IMF use with comorbid substance use, treatment utilization, and demographic characteristics between the surveys. Data were analyzed March to June 2024.

resultsNSDUH (n = 47,100 respondents) had a lower proportion of respondents who identified as non-Hispanic White and graduated college, and a higher proportion with past week employment than NMURx (N = 59,041 respondents). Past-year use of heroin, IMF, and either heroin or IMF were lower in the NSDUH than the NMURx. NSDUH estimated 0.52% (95% CI: 0.40%, 0.69%) %) of the US population used either heroin or IMF in the past year compared to 1.05% (95% CI: 0.97%, 1.14 0) in NMURx. In regression models, stimulant and benzodiazepine use were consistently associated with increased heroin or IMF use across both surveys. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The estimated prevalence of heroin or IMF use was nearly 50% higher in the NMURx compared to NSDUH. These results highlight the importance of using complementary surveillance approaches to obtain accurate estimates of the prevalence and patterns of heroin or IMF use.

Indexed as

FentanylHeroinHeroin DependenceOpioid-Related DisordersAdolescentAdultAnalgesics, OpioidCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth SurveysHumansMaleMiddle AgedUnited StatesYoung AdultAnalgesics, OpioidFentanylHeroin

Identifiers

PMID39934932
PMCPMC11812259

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.