Heroin deaths quadrupled

Heroin deaths quadrupled between 2010 and 2013. The greatest increase has been since 2010. Still, prescribed painkillers cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. Opiate addiction is not subsiding — it’s increasing.

While most people think of heroin as something used by street people, it’s used by people from all walks of life. Opiates, in general, are definitely used by people of all sorts, and an opiate is an opiate, no matter if it’s sold on the street or by a pharmacist. The only difference is that heroin bought on the street might be mixed with some other chemical that could cause problems, and you have no way to know the strength of the heroin in most cases. But opiates are opiates, and the addiction is the same.

We’re seeing at NewDay Counseling more and more people who’re taking Suboxone, or wanting to take Suboxone to get off an opiate of some sort. We’re also seeing people with drinking problems who take Suboxone to stop the alcohol craving. Suboxone is mainly used for opiate addiction, and it’s been very successful with hard core heroin addicts who never had success before getting straight. If managed correctly, Suboxone can possibly be a life save for countless opiate addicts.. There should be comprehensive treatment goals and objectives, though, because there’s no magic pill to cure opiate addiction. Counseling, at least, is needed, with a medical plan to get off the Suboxone after safely removed from the dangers of returning to the opiate of choice.

Although heroin deaths have risen significantly, and opiate deaths in general are way too high, the good news is that opiate addiction is easier to treat than it was in the past. For so long opiate addicts quit treatment before getting solidly into recovery. Now, with medications like Suboxone, the opiate addict can find the comfort necessary to get into treatment and put together a long term recovery plan.