More and more people are perishing due to heroin addiction in the United States and even now there seems to be no end to the problem in the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heroin overdose deaths increased by 20.6percent from 2014 to 2015.In order to battle this menace, apart from government authorities, various concerned citizens, communities and groups are also coming together to address this problem.

One such group called, There Is No Hero in Heroin, has been working for years to spread awareness to its cause, which is that heroin destroys lives and families and they also raise money for those affected by heroin. It is now adopting and advocating innovative ways to spread its message. Further to this, the group marked Feb. 20, 2017,as Black Monday, and organized an event in Las Vegas, where it brought together families of those who had lost members to the dreaded drug. People present on the occasion shared their individual stories of how they had been hooked to drugs and eventually found recovery options.

The event was mainly organized to raise awareness among people about heroin, which is one of the most addictive substances. The motive was to express solidarity with those affected by heroin addiction and let them realize that they are not disowned or left in the lurch.

When someone gets addicted to heroin, it affects the entire family, opined members of the group. The group has taken the initiative to help families of those with heroin addiction, offering to counsel or raise money for recovering individuals. They are keen on apprising teens about the seriousness of addiction and offer recovery assistance to those who are already abusing the drug.

Heroin addiction all pervasive

In a country that is already reeling under opioid epidemic, a widespread heroin addiction is just like rubbing salt into its wounds. Heroin use has increased manifold across the U.S. among all age groups. According to the CDC, there has been a spurt in unlikely demographic groups with historically low rates of heroin use such as women, people with higher incomes or the privately insured.

Heroin is an illegal opioid drug, classified as a schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Heroin overdose is not something to be treated lightly, as it can cause slow and shallow breathing that may even result in death. When people use heroin along with other drugs or alcohol, it becomes a lethal combination.

People usually inject, smoke or snort heroin. However, injecting remains the most harmful way of abusing the drug. People who have misused prescription drugs in the past are more susceptible to heroin abuse, warns the CDC. It has been seen that among the new heroin users, three out of four people had abused prescription opioids in the past before graduating to heroin.

Early treatment intervention is the only solution for those addicted to heroin as a chronic addiction to the drug undoubtedly means flirting with danger that can prove fatal. So, individuals addicted to the drug should seek medical help as soon as possible to become sober.

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