Heroin seizures by authorities throughout the Northeast have been running at nearly twice the U.S. average for the past five years and it is projected to spike sharply, according to data collected by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
According to USA Today’s article, “OxyContin: A Gateway to Heroin for Upper-Income Addicts,” part of the reasoning sited for the increasing heroin usage is the fact that powerful prescription painkillers have become pricier and harder to use. So addicts across the USA are turning to this more volatile drug. The new twist: heroin is no longer just an inner-city plague.
America arrived at this moment after a decades-long increase in the number of people using, and abusing, powerful pain pills. The narcotics had become easier to obtain — some pain clinics issued prescriptions by the thousands — and many found a quick path to the black market.
To stem the abuses, authorities over the past decade began cracking down on clinics, and drug companies began creating pill formulations that made them harder to crush and snort for a quick high. Thus, opiate addicts have found it more difficult, and expensive, to get their fix.
Additionally, the price is much higher for OxyContin. An 80 mg OxyContin can cost $60 to $100 a pill. In contrast, heroin costs about $45 to $60 for a multiple-dose supply.
In Delaware, heroin investigations have soared over the past two years, says Sgt. Paul Shavack. In 2011, Delaware State Police conducted 578 heroin investigations, which more than doubled in 2012 to 1,163. In 2013, heroin continues to be the top street drug, due to its inexpensive cost and easy availability.
To read the USA Today article and watch the video, click here.
Brandywine Counseling & Community Services saves lives. We help people recover from addiction and mental illness, and reduce their HIV risk. Each life saved touches other lives, families, and communities in the Delaware region.
2 comments:
My son is a prescription pain killer addict and it is killing him in more ways that one. He started innocently enough by taking prescribed pain pills for a baseball injury to his knee, but quickly discovered that he couldn't stop taking them when the injury had healed. This is scary, scary addiction both because the pills are dangerous, but also because he does risky things like stealing and robbery just to get his stash. I don't know what to do.
That is how alot of us started really. I chose to save myself just a week ago. I chose Methadone. Everyone was so nice and helpful I really thought the staff was excellent I am grateful it worked out like it did. It is going great for me. Perhaps you can try to get your son to come in as well. If he feels you understand or are on his side he may be willing to go
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