Heroin Addiction And The Current Epidemic

Heroin Addiction And The Current Epidemic

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Heroin Addiction And The Current Epidemic

Among many drugs, heroin is usually considered as one of the most dangerous, fatalist and addictive drugs in the world. Heroin was first synthesized from morphine in the year 1874 by C R Alder Wright that was a parallel section to the German Pharmaceutical Company called Bayer. Heroin was first marketed by Bayer under the same name but as a cough suppressant, stressing that it is a non-addict drug. Heroin was considered as a stronger, safer but a much less addictive painkiller that was consumed by the doctors everywhere. During 70's, heroin was termed as a powerful drug; however, many of the people were afraid to use it. In the present time, there has been a significant rise in the ratio of deaths because of the addiction of heroin. The devastation of heroin can be termed as heroin abuse, addiction, and use. All around the world, heroin has doomed people to live a highly miserable life. The addicts of heroin not only lose the ways of life, in fact, they are also doomed to lose their lives as well.

Heroin has destroyed communities, families, and homes; it would not be wrong to say that heroin has destroyed everything where it has been found. Heroin addiction is an overwhelming problem in America's community regardless of the suburban, rural and urban area. The epidemics of the heroin stem from a collection of "converging causes." The Chicago Turbine asserts that there is an increase in the assumption for the heroin consumers being threatened by death and devastation. Researchers have proved that the epidemic ratio of Heroin consumption is an increased stress towards the source. It has been inferred that the majority of users of the drug are traced back to the people who have been using heroin as prescribed medicine. Consumers are found with the legitimate painkiller perceptions given by the doctors before becoming an addict. (Epstein, et, al. 2018).

According to the Pew Research Centre Survey, from 1997 till 2017, about 400,000 people died as a result of consuming heroin in terms of excessive use including illicit and the prescribed ratio. The number of people addicted to heroin in Baltimore is staggering and according to the information quoted from ABC News, "Government agencies have estimated that more or less one in 10 citizens is addicted to this drug”. As the number of addicts varies the United States Drug Enforcement Agency states that "The United States has a much higher per capita heroin addiction rate." According to the research made by the Columbia University, the ratio of heroin-addicts has tripled from the year 2002 to the year 2003, and within this short period, a specific group of people have emerged at a relatively higher risk scale. The global ratio of heroin epidemic asserts that the ratio of drug prevalence varies with the region and the area. According to the survey conducted on drug use and Health, about 344,000 people are suffering from the drawbacks of heroin. In Canada, there are as many as about 200,000 people who were estimated to be an addict of heroin whereas, in Europe, the ratio asserts the numeric of 1.3 million. (Kolodny, et, al. 2015).

The ratio of the comprehension of the result of addiction is even more pathetic. Addiction is a serious matter that may have grave results. An important fact to note is, the ratio of deaths and destructions is because of the constant use or an overdose. According to the Chicago Turbine the overdose of heroin has killed an average of 78 people per day; a yearly record shows that about 33,000 people die in the year 2015 because of the heroin overdose. Recent research has shown that there is a 22% increase in the devastating and demise results. A report from the Frontline asserts that about 20 years ago, motor vehicle fatalities outnumbered the deaths that are related to death, but the ratio was reversed in 2014, in a simplified way, the number of the drug addicts has overturned the number of recorded automobile fatalities. The Washington Post reports that the most potent threat to the addiction of drug is in men aged 25 to 44 years, they are assumed to die because of the overdose of heroin. (Epstein, et, al. 2018).

A considerable fact is, heroin epidemic is much low as compared to the addiction of other drugs so the researchers are looking forward to researching and testing the strategies that can prevent the addiction and scrub the usage. The adult age group is more prone to the risk of addiction as well; they are the best response to the control of addiction by the utilization of different interventions and initiatives. The prevention and intervention strategies include programs that can impact the use of certain medications, acting as a help to the users in order to beat the prevalence. Certain dedicated terms and interventions such as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) as well as training and resources related to naloxone intervention are required to control the threat because it has the potential to bring a devastating end not only to a single entity but also to the family and society of that human entity. In a nutshell, heroin has a higher prevalence, along with heed towards becoming more usual and trendy. However, the addition of certain strategies and healthcare guide can act as a tool to reduce consumption and inhibit the prevalence. (Johnson, et, al. 2018).

References

Epstein, D. H., Heilig, M., & Shaham, Y. (2018). Science-based actions can help address the opioid crisis — trends in pharmacological sciences, 39(11), 911-916.

Johnson, M., Eriator, I., & Rodenmeyer, K. (2018). Backstories on the US opioid epidemic good intentions gone bad, the industry has gone rogue, and watchdogs went to sleep. The American journal of medicine.

Kolodny, A., Courtwright, D. T., Hwang, C. S., Kreiner, P., Eadie, J. L., Clark, T. W., & Alexander, G. C. (2015). The prescription opioid and heroin crisis: a public health approach to an epidemic of addiction. Annual review of public health, 36, 559-574.