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Heroin Use And Overdoses Soaring Among Prescription Drug Addicts

In recent years, heroin use among prescription drug addicts has dramatically increased, causing overdoses to skyrocket and prompting the medical community to stand up and take notice.


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In a report from the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of heroin related overdose deaths has quadrupled between 2002-2013.

Cary Quashen, founder Action Family Counseling, a drug rehabilitation and treatment program in the Santa Clarita Valley, said the reason for this epidemic is due to prescription drug addiction.

“People are getting addicted to prescription drugs because the potency is so extreme,” Quashen said. “The potency is very extreme and they build up a tolerance pretty quickly. One pill doesn’t work, so you need more. Then two pills don’t work, so you need more. We see people using between 20 and 30 pills per day.”

After physicians realize that a patient may be becoming addicted to prescription drugs, they will stop prescribing the patient with drugs. However, that may not be enough to stop the patient from seeking alternatives.

“Doctor’s are figuring out that their patients are ‘doctor shopping’ for prescription drugs,” Quashen said. “When the patient goes out and tries to buy the prescription drugs on the street, they quickly realize that they are very expensive.”

Quashen added that because the the prescription drugs are so expensive many addicts will turn to heroin as a substitute.

“Heroin is much cheaper to buy. About 20 or 30 years ago, there was a stigma that came along with using heroin because people didn’t want to be seen as junkies. They didn’t want to use needles,” Quashen said. “Today, people are smoking heroin. It doesn’t have the stigma of sticking a needle in your arm. It’s just a matter of time before they do though.”

Related: Prescription Drug Addicts Turn To Heroin As Substitute

The vast majority of doctors, Quashen said, are genuinely concerned about their patients and their need for pain management, but is concerned with a growing trend.

“We are treating more adolescents to opioid addiction than ever before. Just in the past couple of years, we have treated more adolescents than I have in the last 20 years,” Quashen said. “Doctors need to be aware that we are in the middle of an epidemic. They really need to pay close attention to their patients. They also need to explore alternatives methods of pain control because there are plenty.”

When it comes to knowing the difference between addiction and the genuine need for pain management, Quashen said the answer is pretty simple.

“If you have to ask yourself whether or not you have a problem,” said Quashen, “chances are you already know the answer.”

About Action Family Counseling

Action Family Counseling has drug and alcohol residential treatment locations in Santa Clarita, Piru, and Bakersfield; Intensive Drug and Alcohol Outpatient in Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Ventura, Pasadena, and Bakersfield, Action Family Counseling is here to help you.

Action Family Counseling’s primary goals are to maintain abstinence, stabilize co-occurring illnesses, and increase quality of life. We support and reinforce change in behavior patterns so that adolescents and adults, or clients and their families can fully indoctrinate the philosophies and principles needed to remain abstinent and stabilized for life.

Action Family Counseling accomplishes this by providing an effective treatment approach developed by the Department of Health and Human Services that includes a multi-disciplinarian personalized approach by a treatment team. Once a patient is identified, we provide an initial screening and assessment, which allows us to properly diagnose and place patients in the appropriate treatment setting.

Once a patient completes our intake process to our residential program he or she receives 24-hour crisis management, individual counseling, group therapy, family education and counseling, treatment planning, routine and random toxicology screening, pharmacotherapy and medication management, education about Alcohol and Other Drugs and mental health issues, self-help and support group orientation, case management services, and discharge service planning with a transitional service plan to our Intensive Outpatient treatment program to ensure a continuum of care.

Visit their website here.

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Heroin Use And Overdoses Soaring Among Prescription Drug Addicts

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About Enzo Marino

Enzo became a staff writer at KHTS AM-1220 in June 2015. He is working towards his Associates Degree in New Media Journalism at College of the Canyons where he is currently involved with Cougar News, the on-campus student and community news outlet. Enzo’s passion for news started when he was an intern at KNBC-4 in Burbank