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Number Of Heroin Poisonings Has Doubled For Some Age Groups In California

The number of heroin overdoses in California has doubled for certain age groups in the last four years.

Data released by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development shows that 20- to 29-year-olds have had more heroin overdoses than any other age group since 2012.

Last year, there were 412 overdoses among that age group. That's double the amount in 2012.

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Poisonings among 30 to 39-year-olds also doubled since 2012 with the highest number of incidences occurring in 2015.

RELATED: How Opioid Addiction Caught San Diego Communities Unaware

State health officials say an increase in fentanyl laced heroin may be behind the rise.

Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin.

Heroin deaths have surpassed gun homicides in the US, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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RELATED: San Diego: Addicted To Meth