Ohio has seen a vast increase in heroin abuse over the past six months. According to a new study by the Ohio Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Services, this increase was partly due to an increase in addiction to opioids.
Opioids such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Opana are prescription drugs chemically similar to heroin and opium. When abused, they produce similar effects.
Ohio residents who were interviewed as part of the study said that heroin was relatively easy to find and inexpensive in Ohio. The study also reveals a significant reason opioid abusers turn to heroin. The Food and Drug Administration has encouraged drug companies to make their painkillers hard to abuse. OxyContin was the first drug to go through this reformulation. Previously, abusers could crush the pills and then snort or dissolve and inject the powder. Reformulated OxyContin turns into a gooey jelly that can’t be easily abused if you try to crush it.
Unfortunately, this change has meant that many people who were addicted to OxyContin shifted their drug use to heroin which has the added advantage of being far cheaper than pills. But because the potency of heroin is unpredictable, the number of heroin overdoses has begun to climb as people encounter batches of heroin that’s more potent than they expect.
If you know someone who needs help with a heroin problem, contact us for Ohio drug abuse rehab solutions.
At Riverbend Retreat’s drug rehabilitation program, we have helped dozens of Ohio residents kick their habits. We can help you get your life back. Call 1-877-862-4326.
