Heroin Epidemic Research Paper

Improved Essays
Show More
The Heroin Epidemic
The current heroin epidemic is just as bad and just as scary as the cocaine epidemic. The epidemics have their similarities, however, they have many differences as well. The heroin epidemic started in America around 2013. From 2003 to 2013 the amount of heroin-related deaths had already risen an astonishing 286 percent, and those numbers have not slowed down. Heroin is currently the cheapest its been in a long time which means that it is a drug almost anyone has access to. Unlike the Cocaine epidemic, it is not a fashionable drug for staying alerted and it is not a fashionable drug. The epidemic is also not the product of an influx in the drug in the United States. The main reason behind the heroin epidemic in America is …show more content…
One of the largest steps the government has taken did nothing to slow the epidemic, but it did slow the amount of blood-borne diseases that are being spread through dirty needles. Pharmacies like Walgreens have begun offering free needles for people trading in old needles. By trading in old needles they can get rid of needle sharing and everyone can have their own needles. Now this will not completely take sharing needles out of the equation for a lot of people are still shy about taking needles from these Pharisees for they are scared they will be tracked to possession of the drug. This also is making the drug easier to take. Obviously this new program has its ups and downs it will help the spread of aids but it will not decrease the amount of heroin being used at …show more content…
The fact that news is being spread about the epidemic, especially now that President Obama is talking about the heroin epidemic, is making it easy to inform the general population about the epidemic. With the general population informed about the epidemic we can begin to spread the news on what everyone can do to help slow or stop the epidemic. We are currently moving in a good direction, but we can not afford to make the mistakes we made in dealing with the cocaine epidemic. If we can avoid having to deal with cartels outside of the country, and deal with the problem internally we can focus on getting help to the general population. Once the general population is cured off of heroin the demand will be slowed and the amount of heroin being smuggled into the United States will slow

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    A Rhetorical Analysis Of Chasing Heroin Epidemic
    • 1525 Words
    • 7 Pages

    A Rhetorical Analysis Of Chasing Heroin Epidemic

    The heroin epidemic is rising at an alarming rate and cites are desperate to find a solution. The CDC reports that 27,000 people die each year due to heroin overdoses. The jails are inundated with offenders, that once released go out and use again, thus continuing a cycle of insanity without producing any solutions. More youths have succumbed to addictions involving Meth and Heroin, and many are dying as a result. No one seemed to be paying any attention until it reached epidemic proportions, or as some have suggested, become a "white middle class problem" that surpassed the poor minority populations.…

    • 1525 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Chasing Heroin Research Paper
    • 1718 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Chasing Heroin Research Paper

    While this might seem like a good thing, it does not teach the client how dangerous this drug can really be. It kind of teaches them that it is okay to keep using because they are not going to get into trouble. The last reason it might not work is because of the lack of funding. During the documentary, the story of the male client, he wanted to go to detox and he had to wait weeks to get into a detox facility and when he got there, they did not have a bed for him. That can be discouraging and can cause clients to want to use again because they feel there is no hope or no point to getting clean.…

    • 1718 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Epidemic Killing Indiana Research Paper
    • 1757 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Epidemic Killing Indiana Research Paper

    HIV is caused by heroin because the needles used to do heroin usually are not sterile, leading to bacteria getting into the user’s bloodstream. HIV is a disease that affects the body’s immune system, leading to even more deadly disease AIDs. “…the arrests of 32 suspects in connection to a growing drug problem that has caused a sharp rise in HIV cases.” (Wise). This shows a direct correlation to heroin problem as well as the HIV problem plaguing Indiana.…

    • 1757 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Heroin Epidemic Analysis
    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Heroin Epidemic Analysis

    There is a heroin epidemic sweeping across the country; how can one believe this will impact on the United States! The heroin epidemic is affecting people's everyday lives. It will continue to affect them throughout the future. In the articles “Safe heroin injection sites get OK from King County health board”, by Seattle Times; also in the article, “Issue Overview: Heroin Addiction” by Lauren Etter, Bloomberg; finally in the article, “Soaring overdose deaths cut U.S. life expectancy for 2nd year” by Mike Stobbe, Associated Press. Heroin is a dangerous substance to use and it will affect the future; with heroin injection sites, overdose (OD), and life expediency.…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Opioids In America Research Paper
    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Opioids In America Research Paper

    The new wonder drug founded in Germany was called heroin after its German trademarked name. Heroin was imported into the United States, shortly after its invention. It was said that heroin was a “safe, non-addictive” substitute for morphine. Since this, heroin has always been a part of the American drug addiction problem. It has occasional spark ups, but the modern day epidemic has the potential to be America’s largest heroin epidemic…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Chasing Heroin Essay
    • 1660 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Chasing Heroin Essay

    Drug addiction dates back centuries, but the crisis we are now facing started in the 1980’s when doctors loosely prescribed opiates for pain management. With opiates being so readily available and marketing companies promoting prescription drugs, it made drugs like OxyContin easy to get. Consequently people were becoming addicted to the drugs, and what started with prescription…

    • 1660 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Opioid Epidemic Research Paper
    • 209 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Opioid Epidemic Research Paper

    Thinking about the staggering numbers that are reported on the news, it is quite disturbing to see and read the statistics that account for what is called the opioid epidemic in the United States. However, drugs and addictions are not a modern plague, and it is a problem that has been around and piling for years. During the 19th century, the restrictions on drugs were insignificant, and highly addictive substances were not limited in terms of age. As described in parts of module four, in 1885, cocaine was introduced as a solution for every illness ranging from "depression to hay fever. "…

    • 209 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Tragedy Of Opioid Addicted Babies
    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Tragedy Of Opioid Addicted Babies

    As heroin has become an epidemic crossing all social classes and ethnic groups, it is vital that education and prevention programs be accessible to all. As a society, we are in a state of reacting to crisis instead of being proactive in understanding the causes that lead us here. People need to understand the dangers of the drug to realize that trying it only one time can lead to a lifetime struggle. It is very important that education programs be implemented into all schools rather than having it there for people as an option. To further awareness, there needs to be increased coverage through all forms of social media as that is the best way to convey information.…

    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Opioids Research Paper
    • 1283 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Opioids Research Paper

    was the first Company in USA started the production of opioid, and heroin, on a commercial scale and sold it to market by presenting it as miracle drug, and addicts learned that its effects may well be amplified by injecting it to the body directly. This was the beginning of the downward spiral of opioid abuse. Roughly 100 years after marketing heroin and widely prescribed to everyone including children as safe medicine by Bayer Co. In 1912 The first regulation to compact this out of control issue was passed by USA federal government, it was called the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, they imposed a higher tax on those making, importing or selling any derivative of opium or coca leaves. By 1920 heroin was banned, but as technology and knowledge keep enlightening pharmaceutical manufactures and labs come up new drugs by manipulating the chemical compounds formulas of heroin.…

    • 1283 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Morphine
    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On Morphine

    The country where is really took off was the United States, where there was already a large population of morphine addicts. Manufacturer of cough syrup began lacing their products with heroin. In a 1900 Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, heroine was described as “possessing many advantages over morphine,” it was also stated in the journal “... it is not hypnotic, and there 's no danger of acquiring a habit.” The American Medical Association approved heroin in 1906, with strong reservations about a habit that was readily…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Argumentative Essay On Needle Exchange
    • 1868 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Argumentative Essay On Needle Exchange

    Based on evaluation of needle exchange programs since their launch in the 1990’s to the early 2000’s, the World Health Organization (WHO, 2005), found that “providing sterile needles and syringes with considerable encouragement to only inject with such equipment reduces both risk behaviour and HIV infection” (p. 24). Additionally, a study conducted in Australia, which examined the incidence of HCV between PWID that attended a needle exchange program culminated that the reduction in HCV among PWID that attended these programs was correlated with an increase in harm reduction initiatives such as needle exchange programs (Iversen, Wand, Topp, Kaldor, & Maher, 2013). Furthermore, a systemic review solidified these results by comparing the effectiveness of multiple needle exchange programs and concluded that “significant public health benefits can be obtained even when at least 50% of the injecting population in a community receive at least 10 or more sterile syringes per year” (Abdul-Quader
 et al., 2013, p. 2889). Through research findings, it can be seen how even minimal intervention could be beneficial to aiding in the prevention of HIV and HCV among adult drug users and their…

    • 1868 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Short Term Effects Of Heroin Essay
    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Short Term Effects Of Heroin Essay

    To begin with, there is an extensive number of heroin users. Heroin is actually one of the most used drugs in the world right now. Each day the amount of heroin users increase for reasons like people trying heroin for their first time or because heroin is part of their everyday routine. According to Mary…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    The Crack Epidemic
    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Crack Epidemic

    This epidemic exposed the hidden decay in the American society and the vulnerability of the society to harmful drugs. Furthermore, the epidemic exposed the weakness…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Harm Reduction Essay
    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Harm Reduction Essay

    Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that heroin use has soared in recent years, from 373,000 yearly users in 2007 to 669,000 in 2012". Addicts are more likely to use the same needle with every injection until the needle is unusable.("Your First Step") Addicts in active addiction are also more likely to receive treatment due to these needle exchange programs. However, there is controversy because some people think these programs give addicts the mindset that it 's alright to inject illegal drugs. (McCarton, "Pros and Cons")“We don’t have any study from anywhere showing there is any increase in injectable drug use or drug use in general associated with providing syringes to people,” (Dr. Sharon Stancliff, "We Heart WV"; "Heroin Gains Popularity as Cheap Doses Flood the…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Naloxone Research Paper
    • 1686 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Naloxone Research Paper

    The first step to solving the problem of growing heroin use is to stop enabling addicts, but to instead provide treatment for the ones who want it. Those who choose to not seek treatment or professional help should not be able to purchase Narcan over the counter and carry it around in case of an emergency. Addicts are making the decision to continue the use of something that could kill them, so they should not be provided multiple free “brought back to life” cards. Instead, they should seek out the correct treatment and attempt to be cured, not get off easy and be able to resort back to…

    • 1686 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings