Heroin in the Suburbs

Heroin is not a new drug. In fact, it was first synthesized way back in 1874. So what accounts for the drastic spike (90,000-169,000 users from 2006-2013) in number of first time users in America? Why have the number of overdoses quadrupled in that same time frame?

Heroin has hit the suburbs.

Widely considered to be a drug used in highly populated cities, heroin has began to work its way into smaller towns and communities. Quaint Massachusetts’s towns such as Littleton, Cohasset, Scituate, and Hull have all experienced deaths from the highly dangerous drug. In 2014 Littleton, a town of only 9,000, experienced eight deaths from heroin overdose.

I’ve seen first hand what the drug can do to users. In one case, an acquaintance of mine suffered an injury and was prescribed Percocet to help the pain. After taking the pills he quickly found himself addicted. Once the prescription ran out he went to the streets to find more. However, he quickly learned that a Percocet addiction was an expensive habit.

Next best thing? Heroin.

Heroin produces a far superior high for its users than Percocet’s and is far cheaper, too. It was easy for my acquaintance to make the switch to heroin justifying it by saying how much money he was saving.

Heroin addiction can be easy to hide at first, too. First time users often start by snorting or smoking the drug. That way there are no visible needle marks and it is easier for them to continue using without being noticed. Deception is a big part of addiction and being able to consume the drug in various ways is a good asset for a suburban addict trying to hide his or her use.

Heroin has hit the suburbs.

And it’s causing more deaths in the United States than it ever has.