New Jersey is situated close to the main markets in New York City and Pennsylvania; it is a hotbed for diversion and abuse of prescription painkillers and heroin. New Jersey has the highest concentration in the country of pharmaceutical companies and the chemical firms that supply them. In 2008, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) said the most commonly abused pharmaceuticals in the state include Percocet, OxyContin, Vicodin, and other drugs containing hydrocodone.
Federal drug authorities said at that time that heroin was the most abused drug in the state. Some people who become dependent upon their prescription painkillers may eventually turn to heroin, which is often cheaper and available in highly pure form. The state’s Department of Human Services – Division of Addiction Services said that heroin use among 18-25-year-olds was more than twice the national average in 2008.
Doctor shopping, forged prescriptions and organized script rings are the dominant sources of diverted pharmaceuticals in New Jersey, according to the DEA. State authorities in 2006 began noticing an increase in the number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses occurring because of fentanyl use, which is a highly potent analgesic often utilized in a medical setting.
Officials, however, say the increase was due to fentanyl that had been manufactured in illegal labs. In the last few years, New Jersey authorities established an intelligence-gathering initiative to identify where in the state the chemicals needed to make this counterfeit fentanyl were being diverted from. Another of the program’s goals was to educate the public about the dangers of this drug.
Heroin Addiction in New Jersey
State statistics in 2015, showed that heroin has infested not only the state urban areas but also the more unlikely suburban places such as Brick, Toms River, Lacey, Lower Township, Millville, Berkeley Township and Woodbridge. Heroin is everywhere and easy to acquire. In recent years heroin abuse remains a major factor in a steep increase in deadly overdoses — particularly in Ocean County, where the number of fatal overdoses has multiplied.
Currently, the heroin overdose death rate in New Jersey is 8.3 deaths per 100,000 people. This figure is more than triple the national average. Just in Camden County, the mortality rate has reached a staggering 20.3. In the period of 2004 to 2014, there were 5,217 heroin-related deaths in the state.
President Trump fighting the Opioid Epidemic
President Trump has launched a commission headed by Governor Christie, to address the nation’s growing opioid epidemic.
The commission has been tasked with recommendations to tackle this opioid crisis that kills an estimated 78 Americans a day. This crisis has been called “one of the most pressing crises of our time”.
Trump’s commission is designed to:
- Identify existing federal funds to combat drug addiction, especially from opioids.
- Assess availability of substance abuse treatment and overdose reversal drugs.
- Measure the effectiveness of the implemented state prescription drug monitoring programs.
- Evaluate drug awareness available and identify better practices for national drug prevention.
Waismann Method Treatment Center
Waismann Method knows that prescription opioid and heroin addiction is on the rise. We also understand that here is no shame in seeking help for this dangerous and often lethal condition. Waismann detox offers a comprehensive and compassionate medical treatment for opiate dependence. Specializing in rapid detox, the center has become world-renowned for nearly two decades.
Patients from New Jersey fly to California to undergo our medical opioid detoxification. They are admitted to a private full-service hospital, where a multi-board certified anesthesiologist tailors an opioid detoxification to each patient’s unique needs. The Waismann Treatment has successfully detoxed patients from 18 to 84 years of age. The available treatment options allow patients to detox safely and comfortably, while under outstanding medical care.
The full treatment requires a 5 to 10 days inpatient, which includes the private hospital and our exclusive recovery center, Domus Retreat. At Domus, we provide each patient the emotional and physical assistance they need through this critical adaptation period. This extended care maximises the safety and effectiveness of the opiate treatment.
