The numbers of heroin-related deaths have jumped dramatically over the past few years, ever since heroin has made its comeback, and the issue is only worsening. Putting a spike on the general homicidal counts of these small counties, heroin seems like the significant and equally dangerous point of cause to blame. A narcotic with a reputation of being so powerfully addictive, so potent in its reported high, it’s no wonder that increases like the Jefferson’s County’s 140 percent jump of heroin deaths in 2014 is practically the norm in the past couple of years. A total of 123 heroin deaths were confirmed according to Jefferson’s County Coroner’s Office, with an additional 18 suspected. This number is over twice as much as the 58 heroin overdoses of 2013 countywide. You can see the general trend when looking over at the 18 deaths of 2009, then 12 of 2010, 30 in 2011, then 58 in 2012. It appears that not only has heroin made a vicious comeback, but addiction of it is particularly attractive in areas such as Jefferson County, Birmingham, Gardendale, Fultondale, Vestavia, Mountain Brook, Hoover and small counties like these. There are probably a myriad of reasons why heroin deaths are skyrocketing in small counties, as anybody who has had the opportunity of even some light research into the drug will find a unique description of the high borderline indescribable due to how all-consuming and intense it is reported to be. Nonetheless, the narcotic is one of the top most dangerous drugs to say the least. Though there are so many reasons, and the list of reasons can go on and on, there are five ones which stand out as pretty significant in the detection of how this could come about.
- The typical heroin abuser was commonly abusing some type of prescription drug prior to heroin. When the user becomes frustrated with the fact that these prescription drugs are not only over priced to keep up a habit, but also harder to get, and their tolerance starts building rapidly, then they turn to heroin as the resort to renew some high they’re desperate for.
- Heroin remains one of the most addictive drugs in existence. It has been reported to take hold of and ruin lives, due to its addictive qualities.
- Abusers, being weak and desperate, maybe unaware and not careful in their dealings with heroin. They don’t know the chemical make up and purity level of the batch they’re buying. This predicament is a slippery slope.
- The availability of heroin in these areas is partially to blame as it is very easy to get a hold of in comparison to especially prescription type drugs.
- It seems to be an epidemic in these areas and like any disease along with its contagious aspect, it has entrenched in these areas like never before.
In conclusion, it is sad to note the rise in deaths amongst said counties and how or why this would be. The majority of victims to these deaths have been reported to be to only 88% white but also between the ages of late twenties to early forties. If these numbers aren’t evidence enough to avoid the drug then I don’t know what is but the agony in this stuff is very evident.
