Heroin use has been on a steady rise throughout New Jersey with a combination of urban city areas and suburbs playing host to the growing epidemic.  Some of the biggest counties affected include Ocean County, Monmouth County and Middlesex County with no end in sight. In fact, the number of overdoses in Ocean County doubled from 2012 to 2013. For purposes of this article, we have provided the statistics supplied by the  Division of Addiction Services in the New Jersey Department of Human Services that show the top 25 New Jersey communities with the highest number of reported heroin overdoses and abuse cases in 2013. To view the original article, please visit the Toms River Patch.

1. Newark (1,290 heroin abuse cases reported)

2. Jersey City (1,121 heroin abuse cases reported)

3. Paterson (786 heroin abuse cases reported)

4. Camden (556 heroin abuse cases reported)

5. Atlantic City (504 heroin abuse cases reported)

6. Elizabeth (453 heroin abuse cases reported)

7. Toms River (416 heroin abuse cases reported)

8. Brick (407 heroin abuse cases reported)

9. Trenton (316 heroin abuse cases reported)

10. Vineland (287 heroin abuse cases reported)

11. Egg Harbor (251 heroin abuse cases reported)

12. Plainfield (232 heroin abuse cases reported)

13. Lacey (222 heroin abuse cases reported)

14. Jackson (207 heroin abuse cases reported)

15. Middletown (205 heroin abuse cases reported)

16. Millville (184 heroin abuse cases reported)

17. Old Bridge (178 heroin abuse cases reported)

18. East Orange (177 heroin abuse cases reported)

19. Asbury Park (165 heroin abuse cases reported)

20. Howell (153 heroin abuse cases reported)

21. Lower Township(151 heroin abuse cases reported)

22. New Brunswick (151 heroin abuse cases reported)

23. Keansburg (147 heroin abuse cases reported)

24. Edison (146 heroin abuse cases reported)

25. Woodbridge (146 heroin abuse cases reported)