Pills to Powder: A 17-Year Transition From Prescription Opioids to Heroin Among US Adolescents Followed Into Adulthood

There is increased risk for heroin use among adolescents who initiated nonmedical misuse or adolescents prescribed opioids in more recent cohorts. These findings indicate historical variation and reinforce the critical role of vigilant monitoring and drug screening to detect high-risk individuals who would benefit from an intervention to reduce later heroin use.