Heroin Price, Purity, & Risky Effects of Addiction

Heroin Price, Purity, & Risky Effects of Addiction

Heroin addiction has a lot of costs, including friends, family, and future career goals. But what about the financial effects of heroin addiction? The price of heroin may have declined but still it is not cheap. Some people may find that they’re spending hundreds each day on the drugs to fuel their addiction, if not more. Along with the social and emotional costs of addiction, heroin addiction takes a toll on the user’s finances. Financing an addiction has direct monetary costs and a loss of future wages if the behavior impacts the user’s career prospects.

According to the US Department of Justice, the cost of heroin has declined significantly over the past few years. From an average of $2,000 per pure gram of heroin between 1979 and 1988 to the current estimated price of $500 per pure gram of heroin. That nearly a 75 percent decrease. Lower cost of heroin makes the illicit drug more affordable for new users and thus threaten to expand the user base. And the cost of heroin continues to fall with the introduction of new and more powerful synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl.

Nearly 70 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2018 involved an opioid such as heroin. While deaths involving heroin decreased by four percent, heroin continues to pose a serious public health and safety threat. The domestic market for fentanyl overlaps with most of the major white powder heroin markets. Historically, retail level heroin distributors have mixed or “cut” heroin with adulterants such as caffeine, procaine, and lidocaine, which increased their profits and decreased their product’s purity. Adding fentanyl to heroin allows distributors to significantly increase their profits while maintaining product’s perceived quality.

Heroin Addiction Statistics

In 2020, heroin-involved overdose death rates decreased by nearly 7% 2019 to 2020. However, more than 13,000 people died from a drug overdose involving heroin in the United States, a rate of more than four deaths for every 100,000 Americans. The number of heroin-involved overdose deaths was nearly seven times higher in 2020 than in 1999. Almost 20% of all opioid deaths involved heroin.

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What Does Heroin Do to the Brain?

Research further shows that heroin abuse can lead to a deterioration of the white matter in the brain, which can directly affect decision-making capabilities, the ability to control behavior, and methods of responding to stress. Changes to the brain can also predispose it to a greater likelihood of relapse. Research shows that even after achieving sobriety, a person with a history of heroin abuse may be more likely to take up heroin again than those who do not have a history of such abuse.

Heroin abuse among women has been linked to infertility and disruptions to menstrual cycles. In some cases, pregnant women who use heroin have experienced spontaneous miscarriages. Women who continue their pregnancies may give birth prematurely, and infants may have a low birth weight or be born addicted to heroin. Regarding sexual function, women and men may experience diminished sexual drives. Men may experience erectile dysfunction and the inability to regain sexual interest on a long-term basis.

What Does Heroin Do to the Body?

It is impossible to know from appearance alone whether someone is using heroin. However, heroin use can sometimes cause changes in someone’s physical appearance. Someone who is addicted to heroin may experience weight loss. Their pupils may also be smaller than usual, sometimes called “pinpoint” pupils.

Additionally, this person may become less concerned with their physical appearance and hygiene or appear more disheveled, but this is not always the case. A user who shoots heroin may have scars on their body to indicate injection histories, such as on their arms or legs. In severe cases, these injection sites may become infected or cause abscesses to form.

What is Black Tar Heroin?

Black tar heroin is a black, sticky form of heroin. It’s almost the same in consistency and appearance to roofing tar, which is where it gets the name. On the street, it’s simply known as black tar, black pearls, or Mexican mud. Its consistency makes it hard to inject, so some black tar heroin users dilute it with liquid and heat it for injection. Others will smoke it on foil. The black tar form of heroin is also sometimes taken by mixing it with hot water and squirting it into the nose. This method is sometimes called monkey water, waterloo, water lining, or shebang.

Black tar heroin is usually cheaper than white powdered heroin because of the quicker, less refined process of manufacturing it. The purity of black tar is estimated to be around 30% in general, but it’s impossible to know exact purity or strength because of the way it’s cut with other substances. Black tar heroin is just as dangerous as other types of heroin.

Heroin Addiction Treatment Near Me

Heroin addiction is a chronic disease and should be treated like other chronic diseases. Like those, it should constantly be monitored and managed. Heroin is a type of opioid. Opioid addiction treatment is different for each individual. The main purpose of opioid addiction treatment is to help the person stop using the drug. Opioid addiction treatment can also help the person avoid using it again.

The body goes through specific symptom stages known as the opiate withdrawal. The opiate withdrawal timeline varies from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the type of opioid used, how long it was used, and any other substances that may have been used in conjunction with opioids. Medically managed withdrawal opiate detox ensures the individual remains safe and stays as comfortable as possible.

Heroin Detox Treatment

The first step in treatment is medical detox. It will help you navigate the complicated withdrawal process but doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior contributing to heroin addiction. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete detox.

Cravings are very common during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can give necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of withdrawals.

Heroin Withdrawal Treatment Inpatient 

There isn’t one treatment approach or style that will suit everyone. Treatment should speak to the needs of the individual. Inpatient drug rehab and addiction treatment aren’t just about drug or alcohol use. the goal is to help the person stop using drugs like heroin. Drug and alcohol rehab should also focus on the whole person’s needs.

Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior. When someone or their family is considering different treatment facilities, they should account for the complexity of addiction and the needs of the individual. The objective of attending an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab center for addiction treatment is to stop using the drug and re-learn how to live a productive life without it.

Most people benefit from inpatient rehab after a full medical detox from drugs and alcohol. Inpatient drug rehab can last anywhere from 28 days to several months. Patients stay overnight in the rehab facility and participate in intensive treatment programs and therapy. Once someone completes rehab, their addiction treatment team will create an aftercare program, including continuing therapy and participation in a 12-step program like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Psychotherapy

Many rehab programs will also have early morning classes or programs. Group sessions occur during inpatient rehab, as do individual therapy sessions. Family therapy may be part of inpatient rehab when it’s feasible. Alternative forms of therapy may be introduced during inpatient rehab, like a holistic therapy program, yoga for addiction recovery, or addiction treatment massage therapy.

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
• Solution-focused therapy is an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Drug abuse and mental health disorders often co-occur. In many cases, traumatic experiences can result in a mental health disorder and substance abuse. Dual diagnosis rehabilitation treats both of these issues together. The best approach for the treatment of dual diagnosis is an integrated system. This strategy treats both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder simultaneously. Regardless of which diagnosis (mental health or substance abuse problem) came first, long-term recovery will depend mainly on the treatment for both diseases done by the same team or provider.

Heroin Addiction Treatment Recovery Story To Sobriety

Lorraine shares her personal Heroin Addiction Treatment Recovery Testimonial Video.

In the video, Lorraine is open and honest about her experience with heroin addiction treatment and her own road to recovery.

Does Heroin Addiction Treatment Work?

The good news is that most people with a substance use disorder can benefit from some type of professional therapy, no matter how terrible their addiction may be. Approximately 80% of individuals who complete drug and alcohol rehab report an improvement in their health and quality of life.