We often hear of stories about how drugs have destroyed low-income communities. Well, gradually we are now hearing more reports on the affect of drug use and drug dealing on suburban America. One particular drug that has made a major comeback and is increasingly a threat to the suburbs is HEROIN. On Sunday, September 27th, Al Jazeera America will present “Heroin USA,” which is documentary by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien. The documentary will dissect this growing epidemic by following the lives of three individuals from Cincinnati, Ohio. In case you didn’t know, Cincinnati has become a focal point of the nation’s heroin problem. And the individuals suffering from heroin addiction are “young, well-off and white.” Here’s the synopsis: “Heroin USA” traces the origins of the epidemic in suburban America to the increased availability of and marketing for prescription opioids – such as Oxycontin and Vicodin – with sales quadrupling from 1999 to 2010. However, prescription painkillers also have become more regulated, making them harder to come by and more expensive. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Chief Medical Officer of Phoenix House, a non-profit drug treatment organization, explains that a “$10 bag of heroin will do exactly what a $30 pill of oxycodone would do.” Heroin is the most addictive of all illegal drugs, and Dr. Kolodny explains that four out of five heroin users actually become addicted to prescription opioids first. Tune in to “Heroin USA” at 10:00pm ET/ 7:00pm PST.
