State Lawmakers, Maryland Rehab Centers Take Aim at Rising Opioid Epidemic
Heroin-related deaths in Maryland tripled between the years 2011 and 2015, rising from 247 to 748. Fentanyl-related deaths have risen 105% in the last year, while opioid abuse as a whole continues to rise in Maryland and across the U.S. Now, lawmakers, health agencies, and Maryland rehab centers are working together to address and improve the state’s opioid crisis.
If you’re struggling with addiction to heroin, fentanyl, or another opioid, call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn more about your rehab options. One of our caring addiction specialists will provide you with the resources you need to successfully achieve sobriety and overcome opioid dependence.
Opioid Abuse Rates Climbing in Maryland
Maryland law enforcement agencies are investigating opioid overdose cases in order to find drug distributors.
Every year more Americans die from drug overdoses than in car accidents, according to the CDC. A national survey shows that 1.4 million people in the U.S. abused prescription opioids for the first time in 2014, and that most first-time abusers obtain opioids from friends and relatives who no longer use the medication.
Maryland currently enforces a prescription drug monitoring program that tracks opioid prescriptions and prevents patients from receiving unneeded painkillers. However, opioid addicts who lack access to prescription painkillers often turn to cheaper alternatives such as heroin and fentanyl. In most cases, heroin sells for an average of $10 per dose, while prescription opioids often cost up to several times more.
Maryland law enforcement agencies have also started investigating all overdose deaths as homicides, which the state hopes will help identify the distributors of deadly opioids. The state has also provided first responders with an opioid overdose antidote called Narcan, which reverses the effects of an overdose and revives overdose victims. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is currently developing programs that increase access to Narcan in an effort to help reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths.
Opioid Addiction Treatment at Drug Rehab Centers
Opioids are highly addictive drugs that can alter a person’s brain chemistry after just one use. Highly potent opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil are often mixed with or sold as heroin, and frequently added to counterfeit pills, tablets, and capsules. Fentanyl is between 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, while carfentanil is up to 10,000 times more potent than morphine.
Individuals who abuse these potent opioids run the risk of overdose, coma, and death, and are often unable to overcome dependence without medical support and intervention. Opioid addicts who stop using opioids abruptly can experience mild to severe withdrawal symptoms, and go back to using opioids just to relieve pain and discomfort.
Common opioid withdrawal symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Sweating
- Insomnia
- Agitation
- Muscles aches
- Tearing of the eyes
- Yawning
- Runny nose
- Goosebumps
- Abdominal cramping
- Diarrhea
- Dilated pupils
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Fortunately, many rehab centers in Maryland offer medications as part of treatment that can help opioid addicts overcome physical dependence without experiencing cravings or side effects. This allows patients to purge addictive opioids from their bodies safely and comfortably with a lowered risk for relapse. Following detoxification from opioids, patients benefit from counseling and therapy that address the underlying causes of addiction.
If you live in Maryland and are struggling with opioid addiction, understand that you don’t have to go through withdrawal alone without help. Call our 24/7 confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn more about Maryland rehab centers that will help you overcome opioid dependence and addiction.
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