In the United States there is an old and relentlessly growing problem. The distribution and usage of heroin and other opioid drugs has put the nation in a disturbing state of alarm dues to the rapid and growing death rate does to overdose of the drug. Cocaine is popularly thought to be the leading cause of drug related death, and in 1999 it was. Now there is a new statistic, heroin and opioid overdoses have become the leading cause of drug related death in the United States killing 10,574 people in 2014. While cocaine actually dropped and only killed 5.415 people in the same year. This is a 439% jump in heroin related deaths according to Chris and Dons article from PBS (2016). This rapidly growing cause of death is affecting the lives of many
…show more content…
People throughout America see the effects of this drug every day but facts about the drug itself are relatively unknown it seems to most people and children. Heroin-related deaths jumped up 39% from 2012-13 according to an article from the New York Times (2015). It is also commonly believed that heroin is only used in low class and nonwhite Americans. But that is not the case anymore. According to New York Times 90% first time users are white and “Prior to the 1980s, whites and nonwhites were equally represented among first-time heroin users. But that’s changed as heroin use has expanded across other parts of the country” (2015). It also is surprising that it is also a lot of white upper-class that try heroin and get addicted more often than not anymore. This is not just in big cities and heavily populated areas. This includes a place that is close to …show more content…
Withdrawal in regular abusers can occur as early as a few hours after the last administration of heroin (2013). Withdrawal is a big reason people continue to use until they overdose and eventually die from it.
The most obvious factor is the overwhelming loss of life it causes throughout the years and how that number is growing quickly every year. In the year 2014 alone there were 10,574 overdoses related deaths, because of heroin says a statement about Opioid facts and figures (2016). There were 325 deaths in New Hampshire alone last year (2015). And these are just the ones that were reported. There are many more that are failed to be reported every year. Those who don’t die due to overdoses are also at risk for something almost worse. A life filled with suffering due to contraction of HIV and Hepatitis
People throughout America see the effects of this drug every day but facts about the drug itself are relatively unknown it seems to most people and children. Heroin-related deaths jumped up 39% from 2012-13 according to an article from the New York Times (2015). It is also commonly believed that heroin is only used in low class and nonwhite Americans. But that is not the case anymore. According to New York Times 90% first time users are white and “Prior to the 1980s, whites and nonwhites were equally represented among first-time heroin users. But that’s changed as heroin use has expanded across other parts of the country” (2015). It also is surprising that it is also a lot of white upper-class that try heroin and get addicted more often than not anymore. This is not just in big cities and heavily populated areas. This includes a place that is close to …show more content…
Withdrawal in regular abusers can occur as early as a few hours after the last administration of heroin (2013). Withdrawal is a big reason people continue to use until they overdose and eventually die from it.
The most obvious factor is the overwhelming loss of life it causes throughout the years and how that number is growing quickly every year. In the year 2014 alone there were 10,574 overdoses related deaths, because of heroin says a statement about Opioid facts and figures (2016). There were 325 deaths in New Hampshire alone last year (2015). And these are just the ones that were reported. There are many more that are failed to be reported every year. Those who don’t die due to overdoses are also at risk for something almost worse. A life filled with suffering due to contraction of HIV and Hepatitis