Crime directly affects the public. It exists in many forms in schools, through domestic violence, and theft. A strong majority of crime, an estimated 80 percent of those that take place in the state of Tennessee, have a drug connection. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), there are approximately 800 methamphetamine labs fully operational in the state. Meth has a proven and disastrous impact on communities, the environment, and in the lives of abusers. Meth use significantly damages the physical as well as psychological health of humans, labs put forth toxic chemicals that are bad for the environment, and it weakens communities.
Heroin Use In Tennessee
While methamphetamine is certainly a concern for law enforcement, the use of this drug has receded and leveled out across the state in recent years. Heroin, on the other hand, has emerged as a serious problem in the state and statistics show use is on the rise. Heroin use will lead to destructive outcomes. Abusers who are constantly injecting the drug into their system often see their veins collapse with many suffering from serious blood vessel and heart valve infections. AIDS from shared needles is common. Hepatitis C2 which causes liver damage and other contagious infections are also commonplace amongst heroin users. In the United States, there are more than 70 percent of those infected with hepatitis C2 that result from sharing needles during drug use.
In addition to what was described above, long-term heroin use leads to:
- Rotten and missing teeth
- Inflamed gums
- Constipation
- Cold sweats
- Chronic itching
- Poor immune function
- Coma
- Respiratory issues
- Muscular weakness and paralysis
- Impotence and reduced sexual capacity
- Menstrual disturbance
- Cognitive degradation
- Psychological trauma and distress including depression
- Pustules on the face
- Lethargy and lack of sleep
- Poor appetite, malnourishment
Heroin is often laced with other very dangerous substances such as fentanyl. Fentanyl is prescribed for excessive pain. Research into fentanyl shows that its potency is much higher than that of heroin by a substantial amount. Fentanyl is very deadly and it produces severe breathing problems in those who are lucky enough not to die from even one-time use. Fentanyl can be absorbed into the skin and result in death, which is why in 2014 TBI provided handheld auto-injectors to those professionals who were processing drugs brought in the labs for Agent and Forensic Scientists safety.
Prescription Drug Abuse In Tennessee
Tennessee comes in third in the United States for prescription drug dependency. Approximately 5 percent of Tennesseans have taken prescription pain relievers for non-medical reasons and the overwhelming majority obtained them from friends and family. These drugs are dangerous and the public must understand the threat they possess. Anyone can fall on hard times and easily get caught up in a cycle of use and abuse before they know it.
Without proper treatment, addiction will only grow worse and ultimately lead to death. The medical detox and addiction alternative treatment center at Discovery Place has a 12-step program that will provide you the tools to get clean, beat your addiction, and give you the best chance to save your life. Discovery Place’s Tennessee addiction alternative treatment center’s team is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call our Tennessee detox alternative treatment center anytime at 1-800-725-0922 to get the answers you need and the help you deserve.
