Baltimore is known as the heroin capital of the United States, the problem isn’t going anywhere, and something must be done, but what? Government agencies report estimates that one in ten of the city’s residents are addicted to heroin. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Baltimore has the highest heroin addiction rate in the nation, while the number of addicts within the city vary, it’s overwhelming.
Baltimore has approximately 645,000 residents, and the local health department estimates there are about 60,000 citizens addicted to drugs, with about 48,000 hooked on heroin. Because the heroin problem in the city is so critical, the federal government has designated Baltimore as a “high intensity drug trafficking area,” which means it’s eligible for special federal assistance for local police departments.
The director of the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA program, says the heroin epidemic dates to the 1950s and is now engrained into the culture of the city.
Baltimore and Heroin: A Deadly Combination
In the middle of the 1990s Baltimore was a key East Coast distribution hub for South American heroin. The drug is being smuggled into America from Columbia, South America and it’s purer than the varieties coming from East Asia and Mexico, meaning it is more addictive and deadly.
Heroin has long been a problem in Baltimore. The “Heroin Highway,” is a nickname given to the stretch of Interstates 70 and 81, it starts in Baltimore and extends through Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.
Heroin Crisis Raises Demand for Treatment
With the influx of heroin addicts in and around the city of Baltimore, it’s easy to see why it’s crucial to provide effective types of treatment, and to make it easily accessible and affordable so lives can be saved. The many drug treatment programs in Baltimore know heroin is by far and away the most prevalent drug abuse issue they face. The treatment programs in the city receive a massive amount of new patients addicted to heroin and the numbers continue rising each day.
The home of Baltimore Suboxone Doctors, Baltimore is rich in history and the second biggest seaport in the country. Baltimore is home to some of the most recognizable historic landmarks including Washington’s home Mount Vernon, the USS Constellation and Federal Hill, just to name a few. There are so many cultural opportunities in the city and it is filled with museums rich in fine and modern arts and history, and concert halls, but the heroin epidemic is sadly overshadowing all it has to offer.
Drug Overdose Deaths in Baltimore
Between January and September of 2016, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported 1,468 deaths related to drug overdoses. The information shows how fentanyl and heroin continue to drive the rates of drug overdoses. Many people in the city are addicted to heroin and are mixing it with fentanyl, which is many times more potent than the drug alone.
The Maryland Department of Health and Hygiene has been working with federal, state and local authorities to reduce the number of overdose deaths in response. Baltimore has enacted the Good Samaritan Law which protects individuals assisting in an emergency overdose situation from arrest and prosecution. Another initiative enacted by the department is a program called “Scope of Pain,” which is a prescriber-education seminar geared towards medical professionals. The seminar teaches providers safer methods in helping their patients manage chronic pain without facilitating opiate addiction.
Image: https://steppingsober.com/addiction-treatment-program/medication-assisted-drug-rehab/
Does Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Combat Heroin Addiction?
The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, the World Health Organization, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse all support access to MAT, because it is safe and effective for treating heroin addiction. Like any type of treatment for drug addiction, someone should discuss any concerns about it with our program, Suboxone Doctor Baltimore.
The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, the World Health Organization, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse all support access to MAT, because it is safe and effective for treating heroin addiction. Like any type of treatment for drug addiction, someone should discuss any concerns about it with our program, Suboxone Doctor Baltimore.
Why is MAT So Effective?
Dr. Nora Volkow, the director for the National Institute on Drug Abuse said that understanding what heroin does to the brain and body is crucial to knowing why medication assisted treatment works. MAT works in one of two ways, doctors can give people opiates that activate the same brain receptors as heroin, but these drugs block withdrawal and drug cravings. Another method is for a physician to give an addict an opiate agonist which blocks the effects of opiates, meaning if someone relapses and uses heroin it won’t have any effect on them.
https://opioidlifesavertraining.com/medication-assisted-treatment-for-opioid-use-disorder/
What are Some of the Services Offered by Suboxone Doctor Baltimore?
Suboxone Doctor Baltimore has a strict policy of showing respect to people we treat. Our team of dedicated and skilled clinicians believe strongly that working as team is instrumental in helping our patients have the best possible basis for recovery.
We not only offer same day appointments, we also have many programs to suit different types of treatment needs, including:
- Opiate addiction treatment
- Fresh Indonesian Kratom leaves
- High quality CBD oil
- Medicinal marijuana
- Ketamine infusion
- NAD therapy and brain restoration
“Our team of highly experienced and seasoned clinicians are all in agreement, Suboxone Doctor Baltimore is first class, authentic, 100% genuine when it comes to patient care. The team works tirelessly around the clock, rising to meet the ever-increasing demand that faces them day in and day out. They are Baltimore’s top choice for opiate addiction recovery.” Matthew Steiner, Founder, Addicted Minds -The Elite Treatment Providers.