Last Updated on May 20, 2016 by Morris Green

What creates a heroin addict? Ask one, and you’ll see a response like Sean’s. The Fayetteville Observer ran a story at the end of 2015 covering an unprecedented increase in local heroin use. The story starts with these gripping words:

Sean doesn’t know why he became a heroin addict.

He thinks genetics could have played a part. Or maybe his father’s suicide.

But Sean doesn’t make excuses. All he knows for sure is that he likes the way heroin makes him feel.

Heroin is one of the most lethal illegal drugs growing in popularity in North Carolina. The US is smack in the middle of an epidemic as revealed by a 2012 report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health that reported some 669,000 Americans used heroin within the previous year—an all-time high since 2007. North Carolina is by no means immune to the growth in heroin abuse and addiction, a fact all too clear if you review the local news.

The Resurgence of Heroin Addiction

Heroin has a history. In the 1850s, it was used to ease morphine addiction. Scientists thought it was a non-addictive substitute and best answer to the then current addiction crisis. But they were wrong.

By the 90s, the death rate of heroin addicts superseded that of the general population by some twenty times. You can see the impact it had in the late 1990s in the North Carolina Drug Threat Assessment by the National Drug Intelligence Center. The number of heroin-related treatment admissions within our state skyrocketed as admissions went from 1,683 in 1996 to 2,298 in 1999.

By 2003, the scene in NC changed. The availability of heroin was reported to be “low to moderate in most areas.” Wholesale distribution was limited, and it appeared that the sale and use of this addictive substance were starting to decrease.

Fast forward to 2014 and as heroin addiction began to rise across the nation. North Carolina started to see an increase as well. The eastern part of our state saw “a surge in heroin that hasn’t been seen in decades, especially among high school students,” reported WRAL.com.

2015 marked the year where North Carolina declared a heroin use skyrocket in just three years of time. Deaths caused by the drug grew from 38 in 2010 to 183 in 2013—a 480% increase. It was then that the upward trend was linked to prescription opioid painkiller addiction. People were theorized to be turning to heroin as a substitute for prescription drugs like Oxycontin and Vicodin as the cost and availability of these medications grew harder to supply. In fact, the CDC reported that people addicted to prescription painkillers were 40 times more likely to be addicted to heroin.

No one has proven immune to the resurgence of heroin in North Carolina. According to the story ran by the Fayetteville Observer, 18- to 25-year-old IV users were being seen, and heroin use was steadily creeping into high schools.

Arrest vs. Education

Heroin doesn’t discriminate. There is no such thing as a stereotypical user. It’s not rich kids, poor kids, African American kids, Caucasian kids, or even all kids shooting and snorting up; it’s everybody—adults, young adults, and minors from all walks of life.

Investigators, law enforcement officials, and substance abuse professionals all agree that arresting heroin addicts isn’t the solution. The consequences of heroin abuse and addiction are very real, but jail time and misdemeanor offenses do little to decrease the demand for the drug, which is the only way to solve the problem.

Just how do you decrease the demand for heroin? Education and treatment are the first steps, but there’s a bigger hurdle in the way.

Addicts Are Too Ashamed To Get Help

Since opening our doors as a preferred provider of DWI and substance abuse services in North Carolina, we have become intimately familiar with the heroin epidemic. The majority of people who walk through our doors enter because the court demands it. Thanks to an arrest, these people are facing charges and required to complete a specific DWI or substance related program as part of their sentence.

A stigma is profoundly attached to addiction. The addicts who eventually walk through our doors are often too ashamed to get help until their situation becomes dire. And it’s frequently due to three widely believed addiction myths:

1. Just Say No: Saying no to a drug the first time it is offered is doable. Saying no after having used is an entirely different story. Addiction cravings can set in with just one use of a habit-forming substance. Drugs immediately affects brain chemistry and distorts cognitive function. Once a person—any person—has tried a drug like heroin, they can literally become unable to “just say no” without medical assistance and counseling.
2. Quit Cold Turkey: Cigarette smokers can quit cold turkey, so why can’t drug addicts? It’s true; some people can stop using an addictive substance cold turkey, but this is a rare occurrence. For the majority of users, quitting is a gradual process that requires support. And support isn’t limited to counseling. For some, medical and cogitative intervention is essential to treatment and recovery.
3. You Control It: Some believe that addicts lack willpower, and if they would just get some, they could easily control their cravings and give up the substance they’re addicted to. But they’re wrong. Addictive substances change how the brain operates and assert control until proper treatment is received.

No one is immune to heroin. Addiction can stem from properly prescribed and monitored prescription painkiller use. It can come from experimenting with heroin recreationally. It can impact those we least expect, and everyone is at risk.

If you or someone you know suffers from a heroin addiction, do not hold back from seeking help!