There are numerous drug overdoses in Philadelphia that have citizens worried and health officials preparing for a fight.
Opiate prescription pills and Heroin are two possessive and dangerous drugs. Heroin has been a target in the War on Drugs for some times now. However, Director of Public Safety Fred Harran said it is the prescription pain medication that are a bigger concern.
Prescription pills and Heroin go hand-and-hand. While the highly-addictive Opioid prescription pills are an expensive habit to have, the low-cost of Heroin makes the transition between the two quick.
“Let’s say the typical habit is $80 a day, in terms of pills. Well, you can manage that habit with three $10 bags of Heroin a day,” said Roland Lamb, Director of the Office of Addiction Services.
“So eventually, if you don’t have the means, you’re going to go to Heroin. It’s cheaper, the effects are more immediate, but the drawback there is the needle.”
The effects of Heroin are more immediate than pills; overdoses are becoming more prevalent.
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The Dangers of Opiate Abuse
Pennsylvania is ranking the 14th highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the nation, reported Trust for America’s Health.
It goes from pain pills to Heroin in a blink of an eye said, Lamb.
There is no running from drugs anymore, they are everywhere, especially opiates.
“It’s absolutely fueling another epidemic of Heroin because these kids, our young people, are getting hooked on these prescription drugs and switching over to heroin after a time.”
Consequently, Philadelphia is making a push to arrange further oversight to prescribing and filling prescription pain medication.
“At that point they’re going to be able to refuse to refill the prescription, refuse to write the prescription and hopefully do some counseling on help and addiction and treatment and where they might be able to go for help,” Lamb argued.
“It’s just heartbreaking what’s going on,” Lamb said. “We really got to get a handle on this.”
Recovery is Possible
Several individuals do not understand how these kids can become addicted to Opiates. Many fallaciously view Opiate abuse as a communal problem and portray those who take use drugs as morally weak.
What society frequently underestimates is how complex opiate addiction can be. Heroin and pill addiction is an illness that controls the brain.
That said, putting opiate abuse to a stop is not a matter of will-power. If you or someone you know is suffering from opiate addiction, contact your doctor and ask about treatment. No one deserves to live trapped by the evils of opiate addiction. Recovery is possible.
