Imagine feeling so uncontrollably happy, that you wouldn’t even care if the closest person to you died. This is one of the many addicting effects of heroin, an opioid drug that is spreading in its own epidemic across the United States, and all over the world. Heroin related deaths are prevalent in the Northeastern states, such as New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and in the Southwest, such as Arizona and California (“The Opioid Epidemic” 1). The Heroin epidemic is occurring because of the effects of the drug, and people are dying because of it. Camille Peri says “Right after you take heroin, you get a rush of good feelings and happiness. Then, for several hours, you feel as if the world has slowed down. You think slowly and may walk slowly. Some users say you feel like you're in a dream. Heroin blocks your body from getting pain messages and slows your heart rate and breathing. If you overdose, you may stop breathing and die” (Peri 1). This shows the addictive effects of heroin can lead to an overdose, which can quickly become fatal. The increase of Heroin has led to addictions across all age groups, social classes, and areas, and these addictions lead to hundreds of deaths every day. There needs to be more action in lowering the flow of heroin, improvements in treatment programs, ending stigma over the issue, and overall raised awareness across the nation towards the massive issue of the spread of heroin across the US.

         The Federal, State, and Local governments all need to act on reducing the flow of heroin in the US. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), states can “Help local jurisdictions to put these effective practices to work in communities where drug addiction is common” (“Today’s Heroin Epidemic” 1), among other points. This allows local forces to help prevent usage of heroin before it becomes too late and decreases the flow of heroin in those areas. A group of researchers conclude that having law enforcement arrest and incarcerate these people will not help the use of heroin in the area or even to the ones arrested showing that “the traditional policing approach to drug use-related crime did not reduce arrests or incarceration and was associated with a risk of future overdose fatalities” (Zhang et al. 1). Even though there is proof that incarceration will often not help to change the addiction, local law enforcement can still help to stop the flow of heroin in the area. The people who are incarcerated should be put into rehab and have help to not fall into the black hole that is addiction. Reducing the flow of heroin is an extremely difficult undertaking, but with local, state, and federal government help, as well as help from the community and from treatment programs, the flow of heroin can be reduced in many areas.

         Treatment services to those involved with heroin addiction should be more accessible and available near any part of each state. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has been working to increase access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) of opioid abuse in rural primary care practices. They say that “An important aspect of the opioid epidemic is the lack of treatment options for millions of Americans living in rural communities” (“Increasing Access to” 1). While there are many MAT facilities across the nation, some areas in each state do not have quick access to these treatment facilities. More people can be helped when additional facilities are put into place. People might say that there are plenty of treatment centers already, and that there is not a need for an increasing number of MAT centers. Although true, there aren’t nearly as many MAT centers in rural areas, and it can be helped “by engaging primary care practices—the places where most rural Americans receive care”, because “Doctors and nurses in these practices are trusted members of the community” (“Increasing Access to” 1). The increase in facilities in close radius to practically anywhere in the nation could save many lives, and help many people involved in the horrors of heroin addiction, recover. Although heroin is most common in urban areas in most states, like Oklahoma, there are still many causes across rural areas all over the country. Bringing MAT or the “gold standard” to these areas can help drastically (Peri 1). MAT is “evidence-based therapy for assisting people with opioid addiction in primary care offices,” and that kind of treatment saves lives (“Increasing Access to” 1).

         Raising awareness in the public towards the heroin epidemic in the US can help to bring more attention to the subject, and help others help those who need it. Camille Peri from WebMD says that “If you think a friend or family member is using heroin, do not wait and hope things will get better. Act right away. The sooner a person gets help, the better” (Peri 1). If there is more awareness on the heroin epidemic, more people who know someone who is caught up in heroin addiction can help them get out of that hole. The Healthwise staff say that signs of use include having supplies for injecting heroin, diarrhea, restlessness, sleepiness, vomiting, etc., personality changes, and unexplained scars on arms or legs (“Heroin” 1). Noticing these signs can also help people help others. There may be arguments made that if more people know about the heroin epidemic, then more people will be dragged into it and may become addicted like others. This is not very likely, but still possible. Conversely, if people are well informed about the issue, then most will not follow that route. That is why people need to be made aware of and educated on the subject in order to help the cause and keep themselves and others safe. The more people who are aware of and educated about the heroin epidemic, the more help can be provided to those who are involved with heroin addiction. 

            The stigma surrounding heroin must be put to an end as it discourages people who need help to speak out about their addiction. The American Hospital Association states that “Stigma around opioid use disorder creates barriers for people to seek treatment and access care” (“Opioids and Stigma” 1). The stigma involved with opioids such as heroin prevents many people from seeking help over their addiction, and this can lead to death if the addiction continues. If the stigma is ended, then it will become easier for people to seek out help and could save lives. An argument can be made, however, that if the stigma goes away then more people will think that using heroin is not that serious, causing more people to get introduced to the drug. While this is a possibility, the benefits of removing the stigma far outweigh the negative effects. The American Hospital Association says that “Many patients with opioid use disorder have a high likelihood of readmission, and the underlying cause of patients’ opioid use disorder is often not addressed” (“Opioids and Stigma” 1). This shows that many people who are treated for heroin and other opioids are brought back into the world of heroin, and it’s even harder for them to get back out because of the shame and stigma around them. If the stigma is removed then many people will be more motivated to seek help, since they aren’t shamed by people for their addiction.

         The heroin epidemic affects the nation heavily due to how widespread, dangerous, and addictive the opioid drug is. The addictive effects of pleasure that put people in a dream-like state is the reason why many are stuck using the drug. Many of these people have not attempted to seek out help from medical professionals, friends, or family. Thousands of people die from heroin overdoses every year across the nation, and people around the country need to recognize and help solve the issue as much as they can. If governments and people alike work to raise awareness in America about the heroin epidemic, improve and increase treatment programs, end the stigma towards users of the opioid drug, and help to reduce the flow of heroin in urban, sub-urban, and rural areas in the US, then the entire nation can decrease the massive heroin epidemic in the US, and save thousands of lives each year.

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                                                      Works Cited

Camille Peri, “Heroin: Effects, Addiction, Withdrawal Symptoms, and                    Treatment.” WebMD, WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/mental-                 health/addiction/heroin-use.

“Heroin.” MyHealth.Alberta.ca Government of Alberta Personal Health                  Portal, https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?              hwid=uq2454#uq2454-RelInfo.

“Increasing Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment of Opioid Abuse in              Rural Primary Care Practices.” AHRQ,                                                                https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/research/health-it/opioids.html.

“The Opioid Epidemic in the United States.” SHADAC, 18 Nov. 2022,                        https://www.shadac.org/opioid-epidemic-united-states.

“Opioids and Stigma: AHA.” American Hospital Association,                                      https://www.aha.org/opioids-and-stigma.

“Today's Heroin Epidemic.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,              Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,                                                      https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/heroin/index.html.

Zhang, Alice, et al. “The Relationship between Police Contacts for Drug                Use-Related Crime and Future Arrests, Incarceration, and                            Overdoses: A Retrospective Observational Study Highlighting the                Need to Break the Vicious Cycle - Harm Reduction Journal.”                          BioMed Central, BioMed Central, 29 July 2022,                                     https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-           022-00652-2.