Heroin use has risen dramatically in Massachusetts, especially on the North Shore, where law-enforcement officials say the prescription opiate OxyContin, which is used to relieve chronic pain, has functioned as a gateway drug. In fact, during the past several years, the illegal use of OxyContin has exploded on the North Shore and across the United States. And Salem Hospital psychologist Dan Jacobs blames the media, sort of. "The rash of pharmacy break-ins a few years back created a lot of OxyContin press," says the director of mental health services for the partial hospitalization program at Salem Hospital. "It created a marketing blitz. The demand for the drug increased." [continues 161 words]
While the use of methadone, a drug long valued for treating heroin addiction, continues to be increasingly scrutinized, Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins Jr. believes a new drug may soon make methadone obsolete. Suboxone is a combination of two currently marketed medications, buprenorphine and naloxone. It is designed to be used for the treatment of people with heroin and opiate addictions. Additional studies are still being conducted. Suboxone and Subutex were the first therapies approved for in-office prescribing under the federal Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000. Subutex is given during the first few days of treatment, while Suboxone is used during the maintenance phase of treatment. Both medications are administered as tablets and placed under the tongue. [continues 108 words]
If only John Travolta had known. Instead of piercing Uma Thurman's chest with a needle and stabbing her in the heart with an adrenaline shot in "Pulp Fiction," Travolta's Vincent Vega could have saved her from a heroin overdose by simply filling the syringe with naloxone and sticking it in her backside. Of course, such a move would have robbed the 1994 film of one of its most talked-about scenes. But even with far less edge-of-your-seat suspense, it would have accomplished the same thing: The life of Thurman's character, Mia Wallace, would have been saved. [continues 1433 words]
They've been at it for over a year, and guess what: You can still buy heroin in Essex County. But in their continuing battle to curb rising heroin and opiate use on the North Shore, Essex County officials will hold a conference next month to discuss the next steps in smacking down this still-growing problem. Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins Jr. and the Anti-Crime Council will host a summit to target the deadly epidemic of heroin and opiate abuse from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, Jan. 13, at Merrimack College in North Andover. [continues 662 words]
DA Ramps Up Battle Against Heroin With Jan. 13 Symposium You can still buy heroin in Essex County, but in their continuing battle to curb rising heroin and opiate use on the North Shore, Essex County officials will hold a conference next month to discuss the next steps in smacking down this still-growing problem. Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins Jr. and the Anti-Crime Council will host a summit to target the deadly epidemic of heroin and opiate abuse from 8 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Jan. 13, at Merrimack College in North Andover. [continues 662 words]
