If you are suffering from a serious drug addiction, you may look back on your life and wonder where things got off the rails. And while there can be many and varied reasons people turn to drugs, there are also societal forces at work that can make us all more vulnerable.
The numbers associated with opiate addiction are mind blowing. It is estimated that worldwide, there are in the area of 26 to 36 million opiate abusers. And the United States is certainly experiencing its share of this epidemic. But why, is this happening? Well, there are some other statistics that help tell the story.
Let’s start by looking at the heroin problem in this country. Almost a half-million American adults are addicted to heroin. But often the road to heroin addiction started with the use of prescription painkillers. And in 2013, doctors prescribed opiate painkillers over 200 million times. And more than two million adults in the U.S. are suffering from addiction related to opiate painkiller use.
Now, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, around 75 percent of all opioid addicts wind up turning to heroin because heroin is less expensive than other opiate sources.
These numbers don’t lie; our current medical system is at least partially responsible for the painkiller and heroin boom we are collectively suffering in this country. And if exposure to opiate painkillers has caused you to fall victim to addiction, you likely have been putting yourself in some very dangerous predicaments when trying to feed your habit.
And if you have been arrested for possession of heroin or illegal prescription drugs, you may need the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney. The attorney could work in an effort to help you avoid incarceration while getting the treatment you need to address your addiction.