Heroin use is up among men and women, young and old, poor and rich, new data show — especially for people who’ve abused an opioid painkiller like OxyContin, Vicodin, or codeine.

From 2002 to 2013, U.S. deaths from heroin overdose nearly quadrupled, and heroin addiction rates went up 286 percent, according to data from a national survey reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How to Protect Yourself and Loved Ones From Heroin Addiction and Death

Prevent heroin use . One way to keep people from starting to use heroin is to cut back on prescription opioid painkiller abuse, says the CDC. Identifying people who are at highest risk for becoming dependent on pain drugs is an important first step.

. One way to keep people from starting to use heroin is to cut back on prescription opioid painkiller abuse, says the CDC. Identifying people who are at highest risk for becoming dependent on pain drugs is an important first step. Get treatment for addiction. Reducing heroin addiction begins with access to medication-assisted treatment, or MAT — a combination of counseling, behavioral therapy, and drugs like methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone.

Reducing heroin addiction begins with access to medication-assisted treatment, or MAT — a combination of counseling, behavioral therapy, and drugs like methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone. Treat overdoses right away. Naloxone can counter an opioid overdose and save a life, if it’s delivered in time.

Source: CDC Vitalsigns, July 2015.