Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in heroin users: An underappreciated issue with clinical ramifications.

The authors discuss the extent of the problem regarding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among heroin users, its implications for heroin overdose risk, and strategies to address this issue. Topics include how common is early onset COPD among heroin users, evidence that COPD progresses at an accelerated rate among heroin users, and clinical implications of such high rates of COPD.