How to find the best Long term drug addiction treatment facilities

Heroin Addiction: Are Heroin-Assisted Facilities Effective?

Government is presently doing its best to reduce the rate of substance abuse in the country. As a move to lessen the incidence, many hard-hit communities in the United States are now planning to start heroin-assisted facilities.

From the last data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is a spike of drug-related overdose deaths in 2014 than ever before. Records showed that 6 out of 10 death cases is attributed to opioid or painkillers that include heroin.

Understanding The Statistics:

Between 2002 to 2013, heroin use and heroin addiction affected greatly young adults between 18 to 25 years of age. The number of new drug users has also increased. Three out of 4 new heroin users reported abusing painkillers prior to taking heroin. The Drug Enforcement

Administration (DEA) reported that the quantity of heroin seized has grown four times since 1999.

What are Heroin-Assisted Facilities?

Heroin-assisted facilities, also called Heroin-Assisted Treatment (HAT) are funded and operated by the city or a state where heroin addicts can legally shoot-up drugs under a medically-supervised setting. It is viewed as a life-saving intervention to save lives of people struggling with heroin addiction, who did not show response to other treatments.

The practice was first seen in several European countries and now being adapted in many cities in the U.S. The country is now offering facilities in heavily-affected areas of heroin use.

Advantages of Heroin-Assisted Facilities:

Countries already operating these facilities reported numerous advantages that include: preventing heroin overdoses; lowering HIV and viral hepatitis transmission; and inviting more addicts to adhere to drug treatments.

Technically, heroin-assisted facilities aim at improving the overall health of individuals battling with heroin addiction; and reduce the consequences or outcomes of their heroin use.

How It Works?

Heroin-assisted facilities almost operate the same way. Participants who join the treatment must enroll voluntarily and have tried other treatment options. Another prerequisite of the facility is that legal adults must be using heroin at present.

The legalized heroin facilities are not operating on its own. It is done simultaneously with other health programs like psycho-social services. Heroin is given at the same time with methadone treatment in other countries.

Other Benefits:

Since heroin addiction is at its peak, it has contributed to the huge health and social costs that are all shouldered by the government. Due to mounting addiction, the government is spending more money due to crimes, HIV and unemployment.

In Canada and the European countries, the heroin-assisted facilities have helped lower down these costs. Aside from that, heroin abuse has reduced as well as the cases of criminal activities. It resulted in overall improvement of people using drugs and employment.