What is Behind the Rising Heroin Fatalities in Florida?
What is Behind the Rising Heroin Fatalities in Florida?
The heroin plague continues to ravage Florida. In 2014, there were more heroin fatalities in Florida than ever before. The Florida Medical Examiner’s office released a study reporting 447 heroin fatalities in 2014. This shocking number more than doubles the heroin death toll of 199 from 2013. Fentanyl deaths also spiked in 2014, rising to 538 over the 2013 record of 292. These numbers are troubling for communities and lawmakers, and have prompted increased efforts to raise awareness and combat the growing drug problem in Florida.
Prescription Drug Use a Likely Cause
The nationwide resurgence in heroin addiction has closely tracked the efforts in recent years to combat prescription drug abuse. Getting addicted to prescription painkillers through a doctor’s prescription opens the door to a sudden need for an alternative when the prescription runs out. When people get to this point, heroin is there waiting for them with its deadly embrace.
Consider that 100,000,000 people in the US are suffering from chronic pain. Many of them have been prescribed opiate painkillers. It’s logical to see human nature take hold when these prescriptions dry up, causing people to turn to the black market to self-medicate or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Street Drugs and Prescription Painkillers Stronger Than Ever
The sheer potency of available drugs today is alarming. People seeking a stronger, cheaper high can easily underestimate the potency of what they’re using, and very quickly find themselves in an overdose situation. Heroin has become stronger, less expensive, and more readily available over the past twenty years. This is despite rising numbers of drug seizures and stronger efforts to fight the drug trade through law enforcement.
Legal drugs have become more powerful as well. Fentanyl has burst onto the drug market boasting strengths 50 to 100 times that of heroin and morphine. Often mixed with heroin for a stronger high, fentanyl makes heroin fatalities far more likely.
People in Florida Can Get Help With Heroin Addiction
More than ever before, help is available for people suffering from heroin addiction and prescription pill addiction. Don’t stand by as you or someone you love joins the rising number of heroin fatalities.
Recovery Connection is here to help with your questions. We can help you get started on the path to recovery by connecting you to the right resources for your unique situation. We can help you navigate the first stages of your rehabilitation, answering all of your questions, including:
- How can I get started with rehab?
- Will my insurance pay for it?
- What can I expect during rehab?
- What about afterwards?
If you’re unsure about getting help or don’t know where to start, we want to hear from you. Don’t become another statistic. Call Recovery Connection for help today at 800-993-3869.
