Delaware has an exploding heroin epidemic, fueled by a perfect storm of prescription narcotics being closely monitored at the same time heroin is at 1980s price levels, easy to find and pure enough to inhale. Seizures of the drug by New Castle County police alone have ballooned 860 percent in quantity over this time last year.
Heroin is very, very available. It is coming in quantities that are being measured back to the old days, and it’s readily available, and it’s cheap. The heroin is 70 to 90 percent pure in Delaware. In all of last year, state police seized 471.23 grams of the drug in the three counties; already this year, that figure has more than tripled, to 1,598.58 grams. A bag typically contains 0.02 grams. In August 2012, the state implemented a law monitoring the dispensing of controlled substances. Almost overnight, people that were abusing prescription pills, it became much more difficult to get – illegal percocets, oxycontins, vicodin so the shift was back to heroin. Philadelphia is the primary source for the mid-Atlantic region, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

On a positive note, the percentage of successful interventions is on the rise. Delaware’s drug abuse prevention efforts include state and local programs aimed at youth awareness; statewide campaigns to promote wellness and reduce drug abuse; and changes in state law.

If you or someone you know has a problem with drug addiction or dependence, you should seek help now. Thankfully, there is good help available. Detoxification and behavioral therapy have proven to be effective in treating drug dependence. Addicts are often unable to complete treatment on their own or with family members, so it’s very important to seek the right treatment center. At Seabrook, we customize our treatment plans to individual patient’s needs, so you know the help you’re getting is right for you or a loved one.