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<br /> <br /> <br />In Orange County and Across the Nation, Heroin Use is on the Rise <br /> <br />By Elizabeth Friend <br />SHARE THIS: <br />Posted July 10, 2015 at 12:58 pm <br />Photo by Mels Evans/AP <br />A new report from the Centers for Disease Control shows heroin use is on the rise across the nation. <br />That’s true in Orange County too. <br />A recent undercover drug operation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office netted nearly 700 doses of <br />heroin. Narcotics Investigator Brandon Wilkerson says he wasn’t surprised. <br />“It’s really not new; it’s becoming an epidemic along with the abuse of prescription medications,” says <br />Wilkerson. <br />A study released Tuesday by the CDC shows heroin use increased 63 percent from 2002 through 2013. <br />At the same time, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths has quadrupled. <br />Researchers say the increase in usage affects men and women across a wide range of ages and income <br />levels. <br />According to the report, heroin is cheaper, stronger and more readily available than in decades past, but <br />what’s driving the demand is the popularity of prescription opiates. <br />CDC officials say states can address the problem by reducing the availability of opiate pain relievers and <br />increasing access to medical insurance that covers treatment options. <br />States can also authorize law enforcement and medical personnel to carry naloxone, a drug that <br />temporarily reverses opiate overdose.