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According to data from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), the number of heroin-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in the region exceeded admissions for all other illicit substances combined from 2003 through 2006, the latest year for which such data are available (see Table 3). Prescription narcotics abusers are fueling the heroin abuse problem in the region. According to area treatment providers, a rising number of prescription narcotics abusers (particularly adolescents and young adults) have switched to heroin abuse because heroin is more affordable and potent. The average retail price for one 80-milligram tablet of OxyContin ranges from $35 to $120 in Boston, while a bag3 of SA heroin sells, on average, for $6 to $20. Law enforcement officials report that heroin prices recently declined to even lower levels in some parts of Connecticut and that the price for gram quantities of SA heroin has declined slightly in Boston over the past few months.
Table 3. Drug-Related Treatment Admissions to Publicly Funded Facilities in the NE HIDTA Region, 2003-2006
| Drug | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heroin | 49,745 | 49,568 | 47,139 | 48,367 |
| Cocaine | 17,349 | 17,898 | 12,792 | 14,765 |
| Marijuana | 11,245 | 11,673 | 11,285 | 12,636 |
| Other opiates | 7,135 | 8,380 | 9,762 | 12,087 |
| Amphetamines (including methamphetamine/other stimulants) | 361 | 377 | 477 | 502 |
Source: Treatment Episode Data Set.
Many heroin abusers in the region are "functional heroin abusers"; they hold jobs, have families, attend school, and participate in community events. Moreover, many heroin abusers from the northern New England states commonly are viewed by law enforcement and public health officials as "day trippers" because they drive to the Lowell/Lawrence and Hartford/Springfield areas to purchase heroin on a daily basis. They often ingest or inject a portion of the heroin while driving back to their home state and typically sell a portion of their purchase to other abusers to defray costs associated with their addiction.
The abuse of methadone contributes to a significant number of drug-related deaths in New England states. In 2006 (the latest year for which such data are available) methadone was the drug mentioned most often in drug-related deaths in Maine (40%), New Hampshire (25%), and Vermont (37%), and it contributed to many others throughout the entire region. Moreover, the Northern New England Poison Center reports that most of the calls it receives for substance abuse poisonings involve methadone, followed by oxycodone and hydrocodone, respectively. Public health officials in Maine and New Hampshire attribute the high number of methadone-related deaths to the removal of OxyContin as a preferred drug from state health plans; the drug was removed because of its high abuse potential. Physicians are now compelled to prescribe methadone for chronic pain relief, and as a result, prescription narcotics abusers, who typically obtain drugs through fraud, theft, or doctor-shopping, are acquiring and abusing methadone more frequently than OxyContin, their previous drug of choice. These abusers, who are seeking an OxyContin-type high--which is physiologically unattainable from methadone--sometimes use excessive amounts of the drug and accidentally overdose.
Public health data reveal the diversion and abuse of other prescription drugs throughout the region. For instance, law enforcement officials report that some heroin addicts in the region who are undergoing treatment for opiate dependence with drugs such as methadone, Suboxone, and Subutex sell a portion of the drugs they receive and use the proceeds to purchase heroin. Law enforcement officials further report that some individuals on fixed incomes sell a portion of their prescription drugs, often obtained through publicly funded programs, to supplement their income.
Illicit drug abusers in the NE HIDTA region are unwittingly being exposed to illicit substances they do not intend to ingest, primarily through their use of synthetic drug tablets/capsules, which are becoming increasingly available in the region. Some synthetic drug tablets available in the region are represented as MDMA by distributors but actually contain methamphetamine, or methamphetamine and MDMA in combination. Public health officials report that MDMA and methamphetamine combinations may produce greater adverse neurochemical and behavioral effects than either drug alone, thus placing abusers at greater risk. Some synthetic drug tablets/capsules available in the region may also contain multiple substances and various combinations of ingredients such as MDMA, MDA, and methamphetamine.
3. Heroin sold by the bag typically weighs between one-seventh and one-tenth of a gram. A bag is generally considered to be one dosage unit.
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