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Heroin and Opioids

Opioids and opiates are an extremely dangerous class of drugs that include heroin, prescription pain pills, and fentanyl. The use and abuse of these drugs has increased drastically. Experts say we are now in an opioid crisis due to the number of deaths and addictions related to these drugs. Opiates come from the Opium Poppy, which is a flowering plant that grows around the world. Opioids are a synthetic version of the same chemical that are made in a lab.

Opioid drugs are one of the oldest pain medications available. They can be extremely helpful when given by doctors. However, they are often sold on the streets and abused. Many people begin abusing opioids after they are prescribed by a doctor. Addiction can occur even when drugs come from a doctor. After they become addicted to pain pills, some people will switch to heroin because the high is similar.

Opioids are extremely addictive and carry a high risk of overdose. Most people who get addicted to opioids need help from the doctors to get off of them. They are prescribed medicines that make the withdrawal symptoms easier to handle. Even with this medicine, the withdrawal is very uncomfortable. Many people who are trying to get clean from opioids go to rehab facilities or hospitals to get extra help.

Opioid Statistics

Everyday more than 115 people in the US die from opioid-related deaths. This is approximately 42,000 people a year. Up to a third of people who are prescribed opioids from their doctors misuse them. One out of ten people who are prescribed them will develop a disorder. 80% of people who abuse heroin started off using prescription opioids.