The Heroin Epidemic in Ohio

Heroin has been around for more than a hundred years, but it hasn’t always been abused the way it is today. It started out as a pain medication and cough medicine that was prescribed by doctors. Once it became evident how addictive heroin was, it was banned under the Heroin Act of 1924.

Over the next several decades, heroin use and addiction fluctuated, with the highest number of heroin addicts being between 1965 and 1970 when there were an estimated 750,000 heroin addicts in the United States. Those numbers again decreased until the turn of the century, when prescription painkiller addiction rose to epidemic levels and prevention and education campaigns caused a crackdown on prescription opiate abuse. With heroin being easy to obtain as a substitute for prescription painkillers, the popularity of this drug once again increased, this time exponentially.

Heroin use and abuse today:

• According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, an estimated 3,091,000 U.S. residents aged 12 and older have used heroin at least once in their lifetime.
• More than 27,000 people die per year from a heroin overdose. (S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• In 1999, there were twice as many deaths by motor vehicle accidents than by drug overdose. In 2014, there were 40% more deaths from overdose than from car accidents. The most deadly drugs were opioids, which killed 18,893 people. (S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• Deaths resulting from heroin rose by 469% in the five-year period between 1999 and 2014. (S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• On an average day in the United States, 580 people use heroin for the first time. (S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• Nearly 80 % of heroin user reported misusing prescription opioids prior to heroin. (S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Statistics of Heroin Use in Ohio

Ohio has been hit especially hard by heroin addiction. Numbers of those addicted to heroin and overdoses from this drug have increased since 2010. State officials say the location of the state contributes to the epidemic. With Interstates 70 and 75 running through Ohio as they transverse the country, these highways have become major heroin routes. Mexican drug cartels ship the drug to Ohio and from there circulate it throughout the country.

Ohio heroin statistics:

• The CDC ranks Ohio among the top 5 across the United States in terms of the number of residents per 100,000 suffering from various drug or alcohol addiction.
• One in 14 of all opioid overdose deaths and one in 9 of all heroin-related deaths in the U.S. occurred in Ohio. (CDC)
• Between 2014 and 2015, Ohio saw a 21.5% increase in drug overdose deaths. (CDC)
• In 2014, 75% of deaths investigated by the Butler County Coroner were heroin-related. (Let’s Face Heroin)
• In 2015 there were 149 total overdose heroin deaths in Butler County. Today that number has grown more than 500% in three years. (Let’s Face Heroin)

Treatment for Heroin Addiction in Ohio

Ohio has its very own premier treatment facility that specializes in helping individuals who are addicted to heroin. The Ridge is located in Milford, Ohio, just a short distance from Cincinnati. Our experienced staff of physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, addictionologists, and therapists use proven techniques to help individuals deal with their past and develop sober living skills for their future. We offer medically assisted detox that utilizes the medication Suboxone to eliminate withdrawal symptoms. Our residential treatment program and relapse prevention program provide the basis for lifelong sobriety.