Heroin overdoses on the rise in county
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The fact that abuse of OxyContin and other pain-killing opioids is a major public health concern and in some cases is leading people to heroin addiction cannot be overstated, said Robin Rothermel, director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
"We see a lot of people, because of accidents or surgery, being prescribed OxyContin or Vicodin, [becoming addicted] and finding it's easier and cheaper to go out and buy heroin." At $10 a bag, heroin is far cheaper than the $80 street cost for an 8 milligram OxyContin pill.
The most significant increases in such drug abuse have occurred in suburban and rural areas, she said.
"I think slowly -- more slowly than we would like -- people are beginning to see the seriousness of this problem, and the fact it is not an inner-city issue," she said. "It doesn't matter what your role in society is, drug abuse has an impact on you."
Drug abuse is estimated to cost the nation more than $193 billion a year in public costs related to crime, health and especially productivity, according to the 2011 National Drug Threat Assessment by the National Drug Intelligence Center headquartered in Johnstown.
The NDIC study found a rise in heroin availability, created by increased production in Mexico. That and an increase in purity levels to historic highs have resulted in a jump in heroin-related overdoses in more than 60 U.S. counties, including Allegheny, Indiana, Blair and Dauphin in Pennsylvania.
Recent news stories illustrate the findings. On Sept. 21, state police arrested a pair of Indiana County sisters, ages 30 and 27, for burglarizing four homes that month and taking televisions, guns, money, credit cards, computers and jewelry to feed their heroin habits.
The next day, two Pittsburgh brothers were arrested on charges of distributing more than $1.5 million of heroin in the region over the past year.
Ms. Rothermel said the state must focus on prevention and treatment of the problem. As part of that strategy, an attitude shift must occur, she noted.
First Published October 2, 2011 12:00 am
