If you’ve never used heroin and aren’t close with someone who does, you probably have some preconceived ideas about the sort of person who would become addicted to such a dangerous drug. Are you picturing a grungy homeless man in a sketchy alley? A bunch of runaway youths squatting in an abandoned building? Or maybe you’re asking yourself why they would ever try the drug in the first place. Did they start off on some other gateway drug? There are a lot of myths out there about heroin and the people who use it, and this information isn’t just false, it can be dangerous. Here are some of the most common.
It’s mostly young people who use heroin.
Actually, one-third of heroin users are over the age of 40. Heroin use has been on the decline in people between the ages of 12 and 17. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the number of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in the United States who use heroin is at its lowest since 1991.
Most heroin addicts started out with a prescription for pain medication.
There’s no doubt that people do move on to using heroin after they’ve become addicted to prescription opioids. If the medication doesn’t do enough anymore or they can’t get enough pills to feed their addiction, they might turn to the streets looking for something else. People who misuse prescription pain relievers are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin than those who don’t, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 75 percent of patients in treatment for heroin addiction first used opioids in the form of prescription medications. It sounds like pain treatment is the root of the problem, right? It turns out that in 2013-2014, more than 75 percent of people who abused prescription opioids got them from somewhere other than a doctor, usually family or friends. Right now, however, laws and regulations are being focused on prescribing, which not only isn’t going to get to the root of the problem but can deny people who legitimately need opioid painkillers from getting them.
Most heroin deaths are caused by impurities.
It does happen that heroin ends up contaminated by other toxic or dangerous substances. Fentanyl, for example, is sometimes added to heroin without the user’s knowledge, making it more potent and more deadly. However, the actual number of people who die because of these additives is low. The real problem is combining drugs. Heroin is often used alongside alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other central nervous system depressants. This can lead to respiratory depression, or slow and shallow breathing, which is the most common cause of death.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504 to get started.