Sharp Increase in Heroin Usage in New Jersey

Drug overdoses rise in New Jersey, a tragic event to take place in New Jersey.

Drug Addiction in the United States is a major problem and it is on the rise. States around the country are fighting this battle but unfortunately with little success. New

Heroin Overdoses on the Rise due to Prescription Pain Killers

Jersey is one of those states who has in recent years seen a spike in illegal drugs use. Heroin seems to be the new drug of choice for many. From 2010 to 2013 New Jersey recorded 4300 drug-related deaths. In 2012, only over 15,000 people sought treatment for heroin addiction.

This epidemic has created a state of gloom, especially for the families and friends of those addicted. Public officials are scrambling to get a hold on this rapidly growing menace. The surge of new heroin users has overwhelmed the state and the government is trying keep up with it.

Heroin isn’t always the first drug of choice but is definitely the last in a line of drugs being abused. Most drug abuse starts with prescription use and snowballs into heroin use. Often times, drug abusers don’t start out planning on getting hooked and is often times under the supervision of a medical professional.

An accident or a surgery may occur and the patient is prescribed a pain killer to help with the pain associated with the injury. The number one prescribe pain medicine by doctors in the New Jersey area is Oxycontin a very powerful drug that easily becomes addictive. This pain killer reacts much like heroin when introduced to the brain.

After the Oxycontin prescription has ran out, users often find it very hard to let go of the drug and try to obtain it in the black market. But with the cost of OxyContin, sometimes costing more than $30 a pill; abusers turn to a cheaper and more readily available way to get high.

In the city of Camden in NJ, heroin is often times much stronger than in other parts of the country causing massive cases of heroin overdoses every year. This epidemic has grabbed Camden by storm and has been the cause of thousands of deaths over the course of the last 5 years.

The mayor has started a prescription monitoring program that try to keep track of dangerous drugs like Oxy and the doctors that dispense them. This program has had moderate effect and has probably kept some users from becoming abusers but overdose still seem to plague the city. This has also led to an increase in certified treatment programs, up 700 percent in the last 10 years.

Frustrated by the lack of success of the monitoring program the mayor has now implemented a drug court that seeks to arrest drug abusers. This system which mandates drug users to go into a drug rehab program has over loaded the treatment facilities in Camden. There is simply just not enough room for everyone. Early release is a common problem with this system, causing the effectiveness of drug treatment to be dramatically diminished.

No one knows when or how this drug epidemic will be solved. But if the government doesn’t get a handle on it soon, the outcome could be tragic. The state of New Jersey and its entire population are paying the price and the deaths just seem to keep rising.

Don’t Give Up Hope