The use of heroin and prescription opioids have rapidly increased in the past two years, with surveys showing that the increase rate has hit 500%. While prescription opioid had been used to relieve pain, there has been increased abuse and overdose of the drug by the users. The overdose of the opioids has led to increased deaths and heroin use. Millions of Americans have been reported to suffer from the addiction of opiates and heroin, an issue that has adversely affected their lives and increased morbidity (Rudd et al., 2016). The rising popularity and use of prescription opioids and heroin have been associated with its low cost and availability. Both opiates and heroin are readily available and at a lower price making people get addicted to the drug. Heroin and prescription opioids have the same chemical features as well as the psychological effects when administered through injection or ingestion. The primary reasons for the rise in the use of the two drugs amongst Americans have been due to availability and accessibility, and the low cost of the drugs making them affordable.
Controlling the rising cases of addiction and overdose of opioids and heroine requires the government and the society at large to reduce the availability of the two drugs by cutting the supply sources. Increased availability of the drugs has been associated with the increased overdose and abuse, and thus by reducing the availability, the overdose will be minimized ( Jones, 2013 ). There have been the efforts to regulate the availability of these drugs, and some impacts have been seen. The victims have also been taken to the rehabilitation centers for correction. Many African Americans were arrested and locked up in jail for minor drug violations, something that further contributed to the rising poverty amongst the blacks. While heroin and opioids, which currently affect the whites are being handled by reducing the availability of the drugs and setting up rehabilitation centers for correction, the blacks who abused cocaine were treated as criminals and jailed.
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References
Rudd, R. A., Aleshire, N., Zibbell, J. E., & Gladden, R. M. (2016). Increases in Drug and Opioid Overdose Deaths—United States, 2000–2014. American Journal of Transplantation , 16 (4), 1323-1327.
Jones, C. M. (2013). Heroin use and Heroin use Risk Behaviors among Nonmedical Users of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers–United States, 2002–2004 and 2008–2010 . Drug and alcohol dependence , 132 (1), 95-100.
