Drug Use and Abuse

¶ … health related risks in association with addiction, the two greatest risks for Heroin Injectors is the risk of acquiring HIV or any number of the deadly and permanent Hepatitis viruses. The risks associated with addiction, poor nutrition, dehydration, reduced kidney and liver function as well as a few others increases the risk of an individual acquiring, nearly any communicable disease, yet those who are injecting Heroin also repeatedly directly open their circulatory system to massive deadly diseases like HIV and Hepatitis. ("The Menace of Heroin," 1999, p. 2)

In many places needle sharing has been decreased with awareness and availability campaigns yet it is clear that the sharing of needles still occurs, as the reduced mental functioning of the user, at the height of addictive need and in the throws of the high have a reduced sense of judgment, just as can be said about any mind altering drug. Yet. One of the biggest drawbacks to intravenous dangers campaigns is that those who use the drug believe that the negative effects of it are not as many if they get the e drug through another means, such as smoking or snorting it.

"Between 1992 and 1997, the number of Americans entering treatment centers for heroin went from 180,000 to 232,000, surpassing cocaine." ("The Menace of Heroin," 1999, p. 2) This increase it is thought is largely due to anti-needle campaigns, which taught users by default better ways to use the drug and also marketing of the drug sellers, Columbians in particular selling cheaper and stronger doses if heroin than ever before.

Analyzing the prevalence of HIV infections based on many factors an interesting list of statistics enters into the picture. Some are more likely than others to use a clean needle with every injection of heroin, greatly reducing the risk of acquiring HIV and Hepatitis.

Within the low seroprevalence regions, a higher percentage of African-Americans (55%) report using a new needle "always" or "more than half the time," compared with their white (45%) and Hispanic (42%) counterparts. Within the high seroprevalence regions, a similarly high percentage of African-Americans (65%) and Hispanics (66%) report using a new needle "always" or "more than half the time," while whites report less use of new needles (51%).

Additionally, it is noted that in high risk areas, or those called high seroprevalence regions drug users are more likely to use new needles. The study concludes that this must in part be because of the education and needle exchange programs that are more readily available in high risk areas.

Despite the ethnic group of comparison, IDUs in the high seroprevalence regions report higher frequencies ("always" and "more than half the time" combined) of the use of new needles than their low seroprevalence counterparts. These data may reflect the impact of HIV prevention activities in these areas where the perceived risk of acquiring the virus is greater. (Brown & Beschner, 1993, p. 52)

Though this does lead one to believe that the use of needle exchange programs is an effective tool for the prevention of HIV and Hepatitis spread it also leads one to believe that the changes may be associated with other issues as well, such as accompanying education and mass media representation of needle use.

Lack of health insurance coverage has been identified as the primary obstacle preventing entry into drug treatment programs, and a predictor of incomplete treatment. [21,23-26] Even when health insurance covers drug treatment, coverage is often limited, which can further contribute to incomplete treatment. [27,28] Solomon et al. reported that Baltimore IDUs with health insurance were more likely to utilize both medical services and drug detoxification programs, [21] (Riley et al., 2002)