Last updated : November 11, 2024
Heroin is a highly addictive, toxic drug, and in one county in Northeast Ohio, more people are dying from it than from homicide. In what can only be called an epidemic, heroin use is surging in Cleveland, and law enforcement officials are scrambling to find solutions to curb the problem.
Heroin is an opioid that contains chemical compounds from morphine, poppy seeds and often, a mixture of other chemicals used to increase its potency. Heroin can be snorted or used intravenously, and is popular among younger users. It is quickly replacing methamphetamine as the party drug of choice.
In 2012 in Cleveland, heroin use had surged fourfold from just the year prior. Experts theorize that use of the relative inexpensive drug has a direct correlation with the falling economic opportunities in the area. The “feel good” drug is the perfect salvo for people suffering from unemployment, poverty and other economic woes.
The drug works by sending a surge of chemicals to the brain stem, giving the user a euphoric rush. This “feel good” state lasts for 6-8 hours and then begins to wear off. When the sensation wears off, the effects are devastating on the user. Withdrawal sets in immediately. The user suffers from anxiety, paranoia, intense cravings for more drugs and symptoms similar to the flu. While the withdrawal won’t kill you, the discomfort is so severe that many people wish they were dead.
The Ohio Department of Health states that prescription drug use is a gateway into heroin, which provides a longer and more intense high than pills. County law enforcement agencies have been stepping up their efforts to stop the flow of illegal prescriptions and painkiller sales in the area, but there seems to be little relief from the damage that these drugs are causing.
Heroin use in Cleveland and greater Cuyahoga county is only the tip of the drug abuse iceberg. Prescription drug abuse in the region has become such an epidemic that Governor John Kasich passed a bill, dubbed the “Pill Mill Bill” focused on cracking down on doctors who recklessly prescribe prescription painkillers in inner city clinics.
To understand the extent of this growing public health crisis, it helps to know the numbers. In 2007, there were 40 reported deaths from heroin overdose. By 2012, just five years later, that number had jumped to 161. In 2013 there were more deaths from heroin overdose than there were from homicide.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, use of heroin has risen nationwide, from just under 400,000 users in 2007 to nearly 700,000 in 2012. Authorities blame the surge on a drop in the price of the drug from Latin American drug cartels.
The heroin problem continues, despite the best efforts of state and national health departments, local law enforcement and drug task forces. In one week in March, 2015, there were 10 heroin overdoses in one Northeast Ohio county alone. Four out of the 10 victims had traces of the drug Fentanyl in their system. The Medical Examiner believes that drug dealers are cutting the heroin with this popular painkiller to increase the potency of the drug. The deadly combination speeds up the heart and slows breathing, leading to deaths that happen so suddenly that even early aid cannot help.
The Cuyahoga County Heroin Initiative has been working nonstop since 2012 to stop the flow of heroin into the county and to warn people about the dangers of the drug. So far, efforts have been futile as use of the drug continues to increase. The heroin epidemic in Cleveland spells a new and troublesome crisis in American public health as drug issues creep into suburbs and the number of addicted grows exponentially.
