Heroin Use on the Rise Among College Students in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report indicating that heroin use poses a major problem for young people in the U.S., including teenagers and college students.
Not surprisingly, the increase in heroin use among teenagers and college-age individuals has correlated with a simultaneous increase in the number of heroin-related overdose deaths. That’s because many of the young people experimenting with illegal narcotics and trying heroin for the first time are finding it difficult to avoid becoming dependent on the drug.
Heroin addiction and abuse is a particular problem for affluent teens and college students, according to the CDC report. One explanation for the increased rates of drug addiction among young people comes from Liz Prince, a drug and alcohol abuse counselor at the University of Georgia. Prince speculates that the higher usage rates of heroin stem from a simultaneous rise in the illegal use of prescription medications by teens and college students. Since a lot prescription drugs can be expensive and difficult to obtain, many young people who are looking to get high end up turning to the less-expensive option of heroin.
Although heroin use is up among college-age people in the U.S., the rate of heroin use in just about every demographic is also on the rise, even demographic groups like whites and women who “historically have had lower rates of heroin use.” In 2013, more than 500,000 people tried heroin, with many of those individuals becoming full-blown heroin users and addicts. Based on current population figures, this means the rate of heroin users in the United States has doubled since 2007, an alarming trend that frightens medical experts and drug treatment specialists who foresee the problem getting much worse in the future.
Anyone who has been busted for possession of heroin in South Jersey needs to make sure they are represented by a qualified criminal defense lawyer. Your chances of avoiding prison, and getting the drug treatment help you need, are greatly enhanced when you’ve got a knowledgeable attorney on your side. Many NJ prosecutors now allow first-time drug offenders to have their cases adjudicated in diversionary programs such as Drug Court, but gaining admittance into these programs often requires the assistance of competent legal counsel.
To learn more about the CDC study’s findings about heroin use by U.S. college students, read the OnlineAthens.com article entitled, “Heroin Use by College Age Adults on the Rise.” http://onlineathens.com/uga/2015-12-06/dramatic-rise-heroin-use-college-age-adults
If you’ve been accused of heroin possession, simple possession of marijuana or another drug crime anywhere in South Jersey, John W. Tumelty is an experienced NJ criminal defense attorney who can help you beat the charges. Contact Mr. Tumelty today for aggressive legal representation.
