How Much is a Gram of Heroin? The High Price of Heroin Addiction

How Much is a Gram of Heroin? The High Price of Addiction

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.

Compared to cocaine, however, heroin appears to have fewer but more geographically concentrated retail sellers. In measuring the availability of heroin to street buyers, the effective price is important to consider. The street price for heroin involves several factors: dollar price, the likelihood of arrest or mugging during a transaction, uncertainty about drug quality, risk of overdose, and search time required to locate a willing seller.

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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How Much Does a Gram of Heroin Cost Compared to the Price of Prescription Opioids?

Prescription opioid use has risen in the U.S. over the past decade, including both legitimate and illicit abuse. As a result, prescription opioids have flooded the market, leading to dependencies and addictions in people you would never suspect of developing a drug problem. Many people start out taking prescription opioids because they’re prescribed to them following surgery or an injury or for chronic pain, and they become addicted.

When that occurs, these people often move to heroin for many reasons, primarily because heroin is cheap and accessible. So how much is a gram of heroin worth, and why is it so cheap? In response to the growing opioid epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) outlined new clinical practice guidelines for prescribers to reduce the number of people who misuse or overdose on these drugs.

Black-market drugs command the following prices:

• Percocet: up to $40 per pill for 10 mg
• OxyContin: up to $80 per pill for 20 mg
• Vicodin: up to $10 per pill for 10 mg
• Dilaudid: up to $25 per pill for 8 mg

Based on these values, an individual with an opioid tolerance may spend $200 or more each day on painkillers, which comes out to about $73,000 per year. As an alternative, some users may opt for heroin. However, tolerance for heroin develops quickly, so users may find themselves spending as much or more than they would on prescription opioids.

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 Recovery Story of Heroin Addict, His Journey Towards Heroin Addiction Treatment Video

Carlos’ Addiction Recovery Testimonial.

Carlos discusses his personal journey to recovery and the effectiveness of his heroin addiction therapy in a video interview.

“My name is Carlos, my drug of choice was Heroin, that’s what brought me to my knees.

The life that I was living was at that animalistic level.

Everybody had turned their back on me.

I would say the main reason why, was my daughter, because I didn’t have enough love for myself to get clean, so, I made that my driving force and that was my bottom defect that I didn’t have that support from probably the person that I loved the most.

That was the main thing that I gained back with recovery was that relationship with my daughter.

She loves me, she calls me all the time, I have an awesome relationship with her today.

But ever since then, you know, my life has been way more than what I expected out of recovery.

I came in just not wanting to use and what I got out of recovery was just so much more.”

Does Heroin Addiction Treatment Work?

Between 85% and 95% of people who successfully complete drug rehab report still abstaining from all narcotics nine months after being discharged. Approximately 80% of individuals who complete drug and alcohol rehab report an improvement in their health and quality of life.