Why has the use of heroin skyrocketed in the Midwest?

Over the last 10-20 years there has been a tremendous increase in the use of heroin throughout the country, especially in the Midwest. It is not only a spike in use but also death. In Indianapolis in 2012, 45 heroin users died from overdoses. One day the coroner’s office even recorded FIVE heroin overdoses in only SIX days. To give you some statistics to compare from last year (2012) to earlier this year (2013) is the Metro Drug Task Force seized 1,823 grams of heroin worth $547,000 and earlier this year they have seized already 1,301 grams worth $390,317, outpacing last year’s statistics. In St. Louis the amount of heroin that was seized skyrocketed from just 104 grams in 2008 to 7,087 in 2013.

There could be many reasons to why this is happening but one that keeps getting brought up is heroin has a link to prescription drug abuse. One article stated, “the number of heroin abusers will steadily increase as people battling addiction lose access to their supply of prescription drugs. With another article stating, “according to NBC News, prescription painkillers are the link between suburban teens and heroin. Teens addicted to pills like Oxycodone can find the same high in heroin, which is cheaper and more intense and easier to buy.” Knowing that heroin is that easy to find is kind of scary. As I read another article it mentioned that major sources of heroin are coming into the US from countries all over such as South America, Mexico, Southwest Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Law enforcement needs to find a way to calm this drug trafficking, using and abusing down; especially with this dangerous drug, heroin. I interned in Indianapolis, IN this summer at the Indiana State Department of Health in the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. This was where I first learned about the spike in the use and deaths of heroin overdose. I was told that there was a ton of heroin drug trafficking on I-65 and law enforcement was trying to get a grasp on it somehow that they began random stops along the highway to search cars that were suspicious to them. Heroin use and abuse will only get worse unless something big is done to stop it, and hopefully that will happen within the next few years.

By: Jennifer L.M.

References:
http://seabrookhouse.org/archives5435

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/heroin-soars-suburban-teens-talk-heroin-problem-talking-prescription-drug-problem-article-1.1099140


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincinnatichildrens.org%2FWorkArea%2FDownloadAsset.aspx%3Fid%3D108426&ei=Z_B_UvT4NbHeyQGz04CYAQ&usg=AFQjCNF5zkJTtosY1R3NuMO03P3oOyJwBg&sig2=8LeMFPkkUr5Z9yFYk1SVrw&bvm=bv.56146854,d.aWc