Day in and day out, we see the use of heroin in Orange County skyrocketing. Our team has been compiling recent data from across the United States indicating that heroin use and addiction escalation rates is not isolated to Orange County. Heroin addiction has become a United States heroin epidemic.
A recent article from Frederick County News-Post also points to increased heroin use on the East Coast.(1) “From July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015, the county health department’s two recovery centers logged a total of 2,000 visits from about 200 addicts.” The article goes on to state, “Since July 1, 2015, so far in the current fiscal year, the centers have recorded 2,400 visits…highlighting a parallel increase in demand for addiction treatment services.”
The New Drug Epidemic
Heroin isn’t the only substance on the rise. We are also experiencing an increase in the number of deaths due to the drugs used to lace heroin. According to an article published in The Orange County Register, “Last year, for the first time in Orange County, four people died of overdoses on acetyl fentanyl. Other forms of fentanyl, including the pharmaceutical fentanyl, were detected in 26 other overdose deaths, bringing the number of fentanyl-related deaths to 30, the highest count since at least 2012.”(2) Drugs, such as fentanyl, can increase the potency of heroin by one hundred times or more.
Altus Treatment in Aliso Viejo offers drug detox and recovery programs for Heroin and Fentanyl recovery and rehab. We can help when you or your family is in trouble. Don’t wait, call us now.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that illicit drug use in general has been increasing in the United States.(3) In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—9.4 percent of the population—had used an illicit drug in the past month. This number is up from 8.3 percent in 2002. The increase mostly reflects a recent rise in the use of marijuana, the most commonly used illicit drug.
Across the country, substance abuse and addiction rates are increasing. If you or someone you know is suffering from addiction, contact us today to learn how we can help.
- http://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/crime_and_justice/cops_and_crime/skyrocketing-heroin-overdose-rates-in-frederick-county-spur-change-in/article_a52dd65e-00dd-5436-b8de-32c86b5ec281.html
- http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fentanyl-708413-county-people.html
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends