The Opiate Heroin Link
Just when we think the opiate crisis was subsiding, things took an even deadlier turn. The Providence, Rhode Island and surrounding areas has been hit especially hard. Coroners say at least seventeen people within a fourteen day period have overdosed on heroin. According to a Rhode Island report, the dead ranged in age from 20 to 62. They came from manicured suburban homes, run down mill cities and luxurious seaside resorts. Most of these addictions can be traced back to a legitimate use of opiate prescription drugs.
While these numbers are alarming for this area of the country, the numbers are even more horrific when combined with the rest of the nation. According to the National Center for Health Statistics between 2010 and 2014 Heroin overdose death rates tripled in the United States between 2010 and 2013. Not surprisingly, the resurgence in heroin abuse coincides with various initiatives to curb prescription drug distribution and misuse. The move by authorities to enforce prescription monitoring regulations and crack down on pill mills and unscrupulous physicians that dispensed large amounts of pharmaceuticals made these opiate medications harder to get. While the success of these efforts were fully recognized, an even more ominous crisis loomed on the horizon.
For many, whose misuse of prescription drugs had already segued into addiction, they didn't have to look too far for an answer. The driver behind the urgent need to find a substitute, of course, are those very unpleasant prescription pill withdrawal symptoms. The switch to heroin as an alternative also turned up some unexpected benefits for desperate prescription pill addicts. Heroin was a cheaper, readily accessible and more potent substitute. With the new regulations curtailing the dispensation of prescription pills, this has also amped up the price of these drugs on the black market making heroin that sells between $7 and $10 a bag an even more appealing option. And so it began, once the first purchase and use occurred, the transition was complete. As more and more opiate addicts switched, the demand for heroin increased which drove the price down even further. Unfortunately the cheaper the drug the more adulterated it got as well. Drug dealer's seeking to boost their profit margin with this cheap, greatly in demand drug, naturally continued a long time trend of blending drugs with other noxious substances. In many of the recent overdose deaths, heroin laced with Fentanyl turned out to be the lethal mix.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the composition of most street drug today are a mystery to users. Most unintentional overdose victims are heroin users who unwittingly purchase what they believe is heroin but instead were sold the deadly heroin-fentanyl blend or a similar deadly cocktail. People who still use these drugs after knowing the risk factor do so mostly because a fundamental feature of addiction displaces the mental filters that enable good judgement. Coupled with the dread of withdrawal symptoms and unbearable cravings, people in addiction to heroin are powerless without appropriate help.
Help for Opiate Heroin Addiction
While prescription medication will continue to turn users into addicts and heroin dealers will be ready to supply the demand, the answer still lies in drug treatment programs that help for people at all stages of drug use. A comprehensive, integrated treatment process is the most effective approach for heroin and Fentanyl addiction. A medical detoxification procedure is typically advisable because of the potency of these substances. Sudden withdrawal may result in serious reactions due to a drop in endorphin levels. As such, medical oversight during the heroin-fentanyl cessation process is critical to reduce undue discomfort.
Drug Rehab Providence RI provide help with finding the perfect rehab centers. Call us today at today at (877) 804-1531 to begin your search.