Heroin ‘epidemic’ as drug grows more plentiful in U.S. [Infographic]

The death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman is bringing attention to the growing use of heroin in the U.S. as well as an alarming rise in drug-overdose deaths.

The cause of death for Hoffman, found in his apartment Sunday, isn’t official, but police say officers found packets of heroin near his body and a hypodermic needle in his arm.

Hundreds of thousands in the U.S. are turning to the drug in increasing numbers. It’s at “epidemic proportions,” a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman told the L.A. Times. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a 102% increase in fatal overdoses from 1999 to 2010.

Check out our graphic below, which shows how the availability of the drug has increased in the United States over the last several years.

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