Is There a Rise of Heroin Abuse in San Diego?

There is no part of the United States that is free of drugs. San Diego unfortunately is witnessing a rise in heroin abuse. This is one reason that San Diego has the best addiction treatment centers to cater to the rising number of addiction patients. The grip that heroin can have on an individual is intensely powerful and often instantaneous. As one of the most addictive substances known in the history, it can take as little as one hit of heroin to start heroin addiction.

Users describe a heroin trip as euphoric, relaxing, and body and mind numbing. The sensations are so great that the following withdrawal is drastically harsh. As soon as the trip is over, users will feel uneasy, anxiety, and many other uncomfortable symptoms which quickly drive them to find their next dose.

Heroin is generally shot into a vein with a syringe. It’s known as the quickest way to get high with the most powerful effect. Sold as a powder, heroin can also be smoked. It wasn’t until recently (in the last few years), that users began snorting the drug. Law enforcement believes it’s because up until the last couple of years, heroin was not sold in a pure form. It was cut with sugar and other similar looking substances. There has been an obvious switch from un-pure heroin on the streets, to pure heroin. It has led to the drug being snorted, which has opened a new market for drug users. It has made it that much easier to ensnare first time users. Before, a person might not be ready to stick a needle in their arm, but pure heroin is allowing for more people to try the drug by snorting it.

People who choose to go to addiction treatment centers also face a daunting road. Withdrawal can be quite frustrating physically and mentally. People suffer from bone and muscle aches, dehydrations, cramps and nausea, and they often go through longer depression, anxiety, and intense mood swings. Addiction patients state that the addiction was intensely hard to break, and that rehab was even harder to endure then they expected. From one end of a city to another, one can find the substance anywhere and from multiple dealers.

Law enforcement feels that the availability of pure heroin is partly to blame. Many are not aware of the strength of small amounts, and new users are especially at risk for overdosing. Another reason to why so many have died from the drug may be due to the lack of other opioids, mainly prescription drugs on the streets. Previously, individuals could crush up prescription opiates and snort or shoot them just like heroin. But since stricter policies have won out, and a new formula for these pills made it nearly impossible to crush and shoot pills, people are turning to heroin. In some cases, it is cheaper and more powerful than the prescription pill version. However, the problem remains that these people who turn from one drug to heroin, are not aware of its potency and often overdose themselves.