Heroin Kills More Americans Than Road Crashes or Guns
If America was plagued by the AIDS crisis in the 1990s, it probably has a bigger vicious monster now looming menacingly over its glitzy metropolises, as well as its shantytowns and dark alleyways. The monster didn’t grow overnight. It obviously took years to spread its fangs. Today, it has grown into a full-blown nationwide epidemic, destroying thousands of lives, regardless of age, race, wealth or location. Sad but true, heroin now kills more Americans than cars running on roads, guns or even terror attacks.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified heroin and prescription drug abuse as an epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that it may be a threat to the achievements of modern medicine. It has left public health officials and law enforcement authorities in a dilemma as to whether the uncontrollable heroin epidemic should be treated as a medical or a legal problem.
Heroin contraband at national all-time high
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) observed in a recent report: “Mexican transnational criminal organizations are the major suppliers and key producers of most illegal drugs smuggled into the United States.” Other key observations of the report include:
· from 2010 to 2015 heroin seizures increased from 1,016 kg to 2,524 kg
· federal arrests and prosecutions of heroin traffickers rose to 6,353 in 2015
· individuals sentenced for heroin trafficking offenses increased by almost 50 percent
Mexican drug lords smuggle enormous amounts of heroin into the United States through the southern border. Once the consignments enter the U.S. territory, the traffickers use street, prison and outlaw motorcycle gangs to market their cheap and increasingly powerful heroin throughout the country like a legitimate business firm. This has been their modus operandi for decades and there seems to be no end to this.
Heroin replaced cocaine as the number one killer drug
Today, most drug overdose deaths can be directly linked to prescription opioids and heroin. In fact, opioid deaths were up by 369 percent in 2014, while deaths from heroin jumped to 439 percent, said a recent report by the CDC. One factor behind the surge in heroin and opioid use was the phenomenal rise in the use of prescription painkillers. This rise became all the more menacing when Mexican drug cartels began flooding the U.S. with cheaper and more powerful heroin, which was easier to acquire than prescription pain medications.
Mexican and Colombian heroin dominates the U.S. market. The drug traffickers have exploited the latest advancements in technology to penetrate deeper into the country to reach out to a completely new group of end users and patrons, including curious high schoolers, aspiring college athletes, professors and professionals. This has resulted in easy-to-get injectable, white powder heroin. In a recent survey of patients undergoing addiction treatment in drug rehab centers, easy access was one of the driving forces which prompted them to start using heroin.
Strategy to deal with the crisis
Without a doubt, cutting off the vital source would certainly improve the situation. However, in its report, the CRS reminds legislators to review the existing federal strategies on drug control, transnational crime, and Southwest border crime to evaluate whether they are able to curb the present heroin trafficking threat. Besides, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), which has made eradicating drug trafficking and production a priority, has also suggested securing national borders as an effective strategy.
If you or your loved one is fighting addiction, contact the Florida Drug Addiction Helpline to find the best drug treatment centers in Florida. Call at our 24/7 helpline number 855–982–2401 to know about the drug rehab centers in Florida. The road to recovery begins with just a call, so don’t ignore any addiction. It will only make the treatment more difficult and time consuming.
