A very sad fact has to do with how much and how fast the use of Heroin has increased in America. Since 1990, Heroin use by adults in the United States has gone up FIVE FOLD! Not only that, over the past several years, the potency of the Heroin entering the US has also increased. That means there is more, and stronger Heroin available. Such a statistic corresponds with the increased rates of lethal drug overdoses that we have all heard about. In fact, most Americans now know someone who either has an addiction or knows someone who has died from an drug overdose.
How Society is Affected
Those who overdose and die from Heroin are, by and large, young adults and even teenagers. Aside from the tragedy of this and the extreme grief for those families and friends of the departed; losing young people who have a great deal of potential, negatively impacts the future work force. Such an impact takes much away from the future tax base. Since most people work for about 40 years before retirement (from 20 something to 60 something years old); the degree to which such a loss of young workers affects society actually boggles the mind.
Problems of Purity
Another rather scary aspect of using Heroin has to do with its’ purity. Because Heroin is illegal, it is not tested for purity so one has no real idea of what percent of the drug is present in the packets which are found to be sold “on the streets.” Since one cannot buy Heroin from a pharmacy, there is no way to tell just how pure it is. That means, when a person believes a particular quantity of the drug is say for example ten percent pure, but instead it is twice as pure at 20%; that doubling of the amount of Heroin available can easily confuse users leading to overdoses and deaths.
Additives and “Cutting” Heroin
It is common for Heroin dealers on the street to “cut” the drug prior to selling it. That increases the profit for the dealer. Sometimes this cutting process is also referred to as the drug being “Stepped On.” One main problem with this is the fact that the user has no idea what the Heroin they are about to use is cut with. Cutting agents may range from powdered baby laxative to vitamins to milk sugar, as well as others. Because many Heroin users inject the drug intravenously, the cutting agent may cause damage to various organs in the body and even injur the heart and the lungs. The cutting materials may even be contaminated with bacteria, so the user may contract a serious infection of the blood stream which can require hospitalization or can be fatal in severe cases.
Help is Available
If you or someone you know has a problem with Heroin, please make a call to The Drug and Alcohol Detox Clinic of South Mississippi, where quality treatment is available. Call today: 000-000-0000, or on the web. There’s Still Hope! You can also like them on Facebook for more information.
