poledriver
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Heroin addiction becomes community issue
The Rome Police Department has recently announced the implementation of the Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education (HOPE) program. Heroin is an illegal and highly addictive drug that continues to be a huge problem in our community and around the world, and our goal is for this program to provide help and support to those affected by this epidemic, in our endeavor to help stop the swath of destruction this drug has wreaked on our community.
The increase in heroin related deaths and crime in our city has risen dramatically in the last few years. HOPE aims to provide educational resources and information to anyone who is interested in learning about this epidemic.
In cooperation with several community organizations, the Rome Police Department will provide resources, information and support to anyone who is in need. I will continue to provide updates on this program here, and the Rome Police website (romped.com) will be providing information as this program is rolled out in our community.
To paraphrase a famous quote, before we can successfully wage this battle we must first know our enemy.
Heroin is a member of the opiate family, which is processed from morphine. It is usually sold as a white or brown powder or as the black tacky substance known on the streets as "black tar heroin." Most street heroin is cut (or diluted) with other drugs or substances such as sugar, powdered milk or quinine.
Unfortunately it has also been known to be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Recently much purer forms of heroin have become more common and are finding their way to the streets. These factors make it difficult for users to know the true strength of the drug, posing them at a much greater risk for overdose and death.
Typical methods of heroin delivery include injection into the bloodstream, snorting, sniffing or smoking the drugs. These are methods of intake that rapidly deliver the drug to the brain, where it is converted to morphine and binds to the opioid receptors.
These receptors are located in many parts of the brain, including the brain stem, which is responsible for critical processes of life such as respiration; overdoses often involve suppressing that respiration.
The health risks that heroin users face are many, including Hepatitis B and C, strokes, collapsed veins, HIV, bone infections, kidney and liver failure and even permanent brain damage. They can suffer from depression, which may then lead them to take more and more heroin in a vicious cycle that leaves them more susceptible to overdose. Continued use can lead to increased tolerance, which can lead them to that same vicious cycle.
Withdrawal symptoms from heroin are painful and dangerous. They can experience nausea, sweating, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. They may experience, anxiety, depression, cold sweats, and fever.
Some experience bouts of compulsive scratching so intense that they may break or bruise the skin. Many who have suffered through heroin withdrawals describe the experience as “feeling like they were dying.” Some even go back to using heroin just to escape the painful withdrawals.
So the question remains, with all that we know and all of the awareness of the dangers of drugs like heroin, why do people still begin using this drug? That is not a simple question, and it presents no simple answers, although many users start for many of the same reasons.
One telling statistic is that the vast majority of people who use drugs first tried drugs in their teens.
As we all know, the teenage years can be difficult ones, where many people struggle to fit in and find their place in life. They tend to be uncomfortable in social situations or feeling pressure in their school and family lives. Gateway drugs like alcohol and marijuana may seem harmless to them, and also may seem like a way to relieve those stresses.
Once they begin using these substances, the “high” they feel can encourage them to continue. It can make them feel more mature, and provide a false sense that they are exerting control over their situation.
However, like with many other mind-altering substances, these effects can start to fade as they develop a tolerance to them. It doesn’t take long for their already altered perception to convince them to try a substance they might never have dreamed of touching just a short time before. The saying that drugs lie is partially true, but it might be more accurate to say that drugs allow users to believe the lie they are telling themselves.
Signs of heroin use can include sudden changes in mood or sleep patterns, secretive behavior, nodding off while sitting or in conversation; paraphernalia such as tin foil, needles or burnt spoons; and a lack of money, missed time at work or school or burns on their clothing or furniture.
If you think that you or someone you love may have an addiction to heroin, you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services on the referral hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
http://www.romeobserver.com/article...52e145cd3d9a6340618713.txt?viewmode=fullstory
The Rome Police Department has recently announced the implementation of the Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education (HOPE) program. Heroin is an illegal and highly addictive drug that continues to be a huge problem in our community and around the world, and our goal is for this program to provide help and support to those affected by this epidemic, in our endeavor to help stop the swath of destruction this drug has wreaked on our community.
The increase in heroin related deaths and crime in our city has risen dramatically in the last few years. HOPE aims to provide educational resources and information to anyone who is interested in learning about this epidemic.
In cooperation with several community organizations, the Rome Police Department will provide resources, information and support to anyone who is in need. I will continue to provide updates on this program here, and the Rome Police website (romped.com) will be providing information as this program is rolled out in our community.
To paraphrase a famous quote, before we can successfully wage this battle we must first know our enemy.
Heroin is a member of the opiate family, which is processed from morphine. It is usually sold as a white or brown powder or as the black tacky substance known on the streets as "black tar heroin." Most street heroin is cut (or diluted) with other drugs or substances such as sugar, powdered milk or quinine.
Unfortunately it has also been known to be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Recently much purer forms of heroin have become more common and are finding their way to the streets. These factors make it difficult for users to know the true strength of the drug, posing them at a much greater risk for overdose and death.
Typical methods of heroin delivery include injection into the bloodstream, snorting, sniffing or smoking the drugs. These are methods of intake that rapidly deliver the drug to the brain, where it is converted to morphine and binds to the opioid receptors.
These receptors are located in many parts of the brain, including the brain stem, which is responsible for critical processes of life such as respiration; overdoses often involve suppressing that respiration.
The health risks that heroin users face are many, including Hepatitis B and C, strokes, collapsed veins, HIV, bone infections, kidney and liver failure and even permanent brain damage. They can suffer from depression, which may then lead them to take more and more heroin in a vicious cycle that leaves them more susceptible to overdose. Continued use can lead to increased tolerance, which can lead them to that same vicious cycle.
Withdrawal symptoms from heroin are painful and dangerous. They can experience nausea, sweating, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. They may experience, anxiety, depression, cold sweats, and fever.
Some experience bouts of compulsive scratching so intense that they may break or bruise the skin. Many who have suffered through heroin withdrawals describe the experience as “feeling like they were dying.” Some even go back to using heroin just to escape the painful withdrawals.
So the question remains, with all that we know and all of the awareness of the dangers of drugs like heroin, why do people still begin using this drug? That is not a simple question, and it presents no simple answers, although many users start for many of the same reasons.
One telling statistic is that the vast majority of people who use drugs first tried drugs in their teens.
As we all know, the teenage years can be difficult ones, where many people struggle to fit in and find their place in life. They tend to be uncomfortable in social situations or feeling pressure in their school and family lives. Gateway drugs like alcohol and marijuana may seem harmless to them, and also may seem like a way to relieve those stresses.
Once they begin using these substances, the “high” they feel can encourage them to continue. It can make them feel more mature, and provide a false sense that they are exerting control over their situation.
However, like with many other mind-altering substances, these effects can start to fade as they develop a tolerance to them. It doesn’t take long for their already altered perception to convince them to try a substance they might never have dreamed of touching just a short time before. The saying that drugs lie is partially true, but it might be more accurate to say that drugs allow users to believe the lie they are telling themselves.
Signs of heroin use can include sudden changes in mood or sleep patterns, secretive behavior, nodding off while sitting or in conversation; paraphernalia such as tin foil, needles or burnt spoons; and a lack of money, missed time at work or school or burns on their clothing or furniture.
If you think that you or someone you love may have an addiction to heroin, you can contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services on the referral hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
http://www.romeobserver.com/article...52e145cd3d9a6340618713.txt?viewmode=fullstory
