Heroin Epidemic in America 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the 70,200 drug overdose deaths in 2017, about 68% were due to an opioid. In fact, CDC statistics indicate that 130 Americans, on average, die every day from an opioid overdose. This surge in drug use has been called the Heroin Epidemic. Realizing its deadly implications, government officials, news agencies, and healthcare providers are all scrambling to find a solution.

Florida drug addiction rehab centers provide part of the solution to the heroin epidemic through treatment programs and therapies in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Heroin Epidemic Brings Increased Drug Overdose Deaths

Any disease epidemic brings fear of potential death to the forefront of public consciousness. But the heroin epidemic is almost a guarantee of death if users don’t find the help they need. According to the CDC, heroin deaths quadruple what they were before 2002. In 2013 alone, more than 8,200 people died from a heroin overdose.

Recent medical research and FDA approval focus has been on naloxone and other medications used to reverse the effects of excessive heroin in the body, as a means of bringing heroin overdose victims back from the brink of death. Once only carried by emergency medical personnel, loved ones of people addicted to heroin are now able to keep naloxone in their homes for emergency use, should an overdose occur.

Why is the Heroin Epidemic So Devastating?

As most people know from the heroin epidemic, heroin is highly addictive. It’s also cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription painkillers, so many people addicted to those turn to heroin as a more accessible alternative.

Heroin overdoses result in shallow and slow breathing, coma, and death. All of this occurs very quickly, more so if heroin is use accompanies alcohol or other substances. Because the drug is most frequently injected, the delivery of fatal doses occurs so quickly that response time to help victims is extremely limited.

Who is Most Vulnerable to the Heroin Epidemic?

A surprising truth of widespread heroin use today is the shift in demographics of those using the drug. No longer are users primarily those of inner-city areas. Rural residents are increasingly affected by heroin use and its widespread availability, with many drug traffickers focusing specifically on rural areas.

Although 18- to 25-year-olds are still the most frequent users of heroin, more people in their 30s, 40s, and beyond are being seen in hospitals and addiction treatment settings for addiction to heroin. At this point, no one is safe from heroin’s widespread reach.

Heroin Addiction Treatment in Florida

Although heroin can so easily and quickly lead to a dead-end, addiction to this dangerous drug can be overcome. Recovery is possible and provides a pathway to a new beginning for individuals addicted to heroin, as well as everyone who loves them. The key to success is in gaining heroin addiction treatment as soon as possible. Each dose someone using heroin takes could very well be his or her last.

The heroin addiction rehab center in Jacksonville provides support, coping skills, and programs for drug addiction recovery. A mixture of evidence-based and holistic programs include:

• Residential and intensive outpatient programs
• Dual diagnosis treatment in Jacksonville
• Men’s and women’s drug addiction rehab
• Cognitive or dialectical behavioral therapy
• Mindfulness-based relapse prevention in FL
• Experiential therapy activities in FL

Don’t let the heroin epidemic endanger your life any longer, contact Beaches Recovery today. Call 866.605.0532 now to gain the best chance of not becoming another number in the statistics of the heroin epidemic.