Heroin in New Mexico

(Staff, 2011)









Introduction

New Mexico, like most states, has lots of problems. These problems range from
homelessness, to gang violence, to D.W.I., and also to domestic violence. However, this
report addresses the issue of heroin use in the state. The mayor of Albuquerque has been
shaken by recent teen deaths due to overdose, and this is in response to the research that
was requested. In New Mexico, Heroin has been showing an increase in use from people
of all walks of life. New Mexico is one of the most used major routes for the flow of
drugs into the United States from Mexico, and with Albuquerque being the biggest city in
the state, lots of drugs can be found in the city. The types of illicit drug abuse in New
Mexico have fluctuated over the years, with cocaine and meth being the primary
problems, but now the use of heroin has greatly increased in recent years. The purpose of
this report is to delve into the numbers and statistics associated with drug abuse in New
Mexico.

Methodology

Research the statistics and trends of overall heroin use in New Mexico.
Find information on how the effects of heroin on a persons body.
Obtain factual information of heroin overdose rates in New Mexico compared to
other cities.
Search for and find charts, graphs, and pictures for the three above topics.

Results
Step 1:
Heroin abuse in New Mexico has become a huge topic. There is an increase in the use by
high school students, which has also been a particular problem in recent years. Many
heroin addicts use prescription drugs as a gateway to heroin addiction. They move to
heroin, because in New Mexico it is cheaper to buy heroin from traffickers than to buy
prescription drugs. Most teens start using expensive pharmaceuticals and transition to the
cheaper heroin, which they inject, smoke or snort. State heroin use is highest in northern
cities and towns like Espanola, but the worst trend is with the rise in use by the youth.
According to an article by KOAT 7 Albuquerque, New Mexico high school students are
twice as likely to try heroin as their peers in other states. The same article says that big
drug cartels are targeting Albuquerque teens in affluent neighborhoods for the obvious
reasons of larger and steadier supplies of money. (KOAT, 2013) Below is a chart of
youth heroin use by county in New Mexico.


(New Mexico Department of Health, 2011)

Step 2:

Heroin belongs to a group of drugs called opiates. They are all very strong pain killers
and highly addictive. The effects of heroin on an individual depend on their body type,
mood and experience with the drug, as well as the amount used and the way in which it is
taken. Immediate effects of the drug include the relief of pain, a feeling of well-being,
nausea and vomiting, shallow breathing, constipation and a narrowing of the pupils of the
eyes. At first, heroin briefly acts on the brain so that the user feels a stimulating rush, then
the drug depresses the central nervous system, so that they feel hardly any pain, hunger or
sexual urges. With higher dosages the person feels warm, drowsy and dry mouthed, with
depressed breathing. The major health problem of short term use comes from the way it is
used. Injection of heroin can lead to skin, heart and lung infections and diseases like
hepatitis. The commonly used practice of sharing needles also poses a great risk of
developing HIV/AIDS. Other problems from using heroin occur because the user doesnt
know the strength of makeup of the drug. Street heroin is usually mixed with other
substances like barbiturates, amphetamines, talcum powder to highly refined sugars. All
of these substances can be dangerous to the users health. Used hygienically and in a pure
form, heroin is not toxic to the body, and does not appear to damage the body tissues or
organs. But anyone who uses the drug for more than a few days is likely to become
dependent on it or addicted to it. This means that the drug becomes central to the persons
thoughts, emotions and activities, and it is very difficult to stop using the drug or even to
cut down. Long term users of illegal heroin are also likely to develop health problems,
because of the impurities in the drugs they buy, or the way they are used. These include
endocarditis, hepatitis, abscesses, tetanus, pneumonia, other chest and bronchial
infections, collapsed veins, even brain damage. They may also experience loss of appetite
and loss of sex drive. The high cost of street heroin can mean that users spend less on
housing and food. Loss of appetite and poor nutrition can lead to severe
undernourishment, which in turn can lead to infertility, disruption of menstrual cycles and
susceptibility to infections. (drugs and drug abuse, n.d.)



(Riccardo Raffaldi, n.d.)








Step 3:

Here is a brief look at state by state overdose statistics, so that you can see how New
Mexico compares to the rest of the country. Heroin overdose deaths among New
Mexicans between 17 and 24 has climbed steadily the past few years, from two in 2006
to six in 2007 to 15 in 2008, the most recent year statistics are available through the state
Department of Health. In 2010, the age-adjusted drug poisoning death rate for the United
States was 12.3 deaths per 100,000 population. The five states with the highest drug
poisoning death rates were West Virginia (28.9), New Mexico (23.8), Kentucky (23.6),
Nevada (20.7), and Oklahoma (19.4). (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013)



(Hardesty, 2014)


Discussion:

While conducting our research we found that New Mexico does indeed have a problem
with heroin. The problem goes a lot deeper than this report can cover, but we have
provided a little bit of exposure to something that deserves further investigation. The
problem with heroin use among the youth of the state is definitely cause for concern, and
it is alarming that New Mexicos overdose rate is so much higher than other states,
especially given the fact that this states population is much smaller.

Conclusion:

We cannot give any recommendations on how to solve the problem of increasing heroin
use, but we can suggest ways to treats current addicts. Most addicts cant just "stop"
using heroin, instead they must go through a process resume their normal lives.
Detox: There exist many Detoxification programs that can help a person
withdraw from opiates while minimizing the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
Detoxification aims to relieve the painful withdrawal symptoms while patients
adjust to a drug-free state. A word of caution, detox is not in itself a treatment for
addiction, detoxification is a first and useful step when it leads into long-term
treatment.
Methadone: Methadone has been used for treatment of heroin addiction for over
30 years. The medication is taken daily and orally and it suppresses narcotic
withdrawal. Patients can still fell pain and have emotional reactions while on
methadone, but most importantly methadone relieves the craving associated with
heroin addiction. One of the major reasons for a relapse is the craving. Methadone
is medically safe, and when combined with behavioral therapies or counseling and
other supportive services, patients have a better chance to stop using heroin and
return to more stable and productive lives.
Counseling: New Mexico has hundreds of drug counseling and rehab centers.
They are located all over the state. Counseling and rehab is the most necessary
component of a persons road to recovery. After withdrawal and stopping the
cravings, a person must look within to find the true cause of their problems, and
they can do this with the help of counseling. (News, 2013)







































Works Cited
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013, January 17). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/factsheets/factsheet_drug_poisoning.htm
drugs and drug abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.medicalonline.com:
http://www.medicalonline.com.au/medical/drugs/heroin.htm
Hardesty, C. (2014, February 11). 5 Things to Know about Opioid Overdoses. Retrieved
from http://www.whitehouse.gov: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/blog
KOAT. (2013, May 20). KOAT 7 Albuquerque. Retrieved from koat.com:
http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/cartels-market-heroin-to-
albuquerque-teens/20219418
New Mexico Department of Health. (2011, January 20). Retrieved from
ibis.health.state.nm.us:
https://ibis.health.state.nm.us/indicator/complete_profile/DrugUseYouth.html
News, C. (2013, July 17). Understanding heroin and its hold. Retrieved from
http://www.cbsnews.com: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/understanding-heroin-
and-its-hold/2/
Riccardo Raffaldi, L. M. (n.d.). Heroin substance abuse. Retrieved from
http://flipper.diff.org: http://flipper.diff.org/app/items/info/5475
Staff, A. G. (2011, September 16). City Joins Heroin Battle. Retrieved from
http://www.abqjournal.com: http://www.abqjournal.com/57010/news/city-joins-
heroin-battle.html