The Heroin Triangle | Affluent Communities & Opioid Addiction

Heroin is an opioid drug that causes a rush of pleasure. Like other opioids, it’s highly addictive.

Many people associate heroin addiction with poor communities. However, in recent years, heroin use has become a major problem for wealthy areas, particularly The Heroin Triangle in Georgia. 

What Is The Heroin Triangle?

The Heroin Triangle is a group of Atlanta suburbs that have faced increasingly high rates of heroin-related deaths. It includes Fulton, Dekalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties. 

More specifically, it begins north of Atlanta, extends northwest to Marietta, east to Alpharetta, Duluth, and Johns Creek, and then southwest to Sandy Springs. 

Between 2010 and 2016, heroin-related deaths in these areas increased by 3,844 percent. 

In 2017, researchers observed similar death rates in Cherokee and Forsyth counties. They now include these areas when referring to The Heroin Triangle. 

What Caused The Heroin Triangle?

Researchers haven’t identified a specific cause of The Triangle’s sudden rise in heroin deaths. 

However, many believe that stress plays a role. Stress is a common cause of drug abuse. In The Heroin Triangle, adults often have highly demanding jobs that cause significant anxiety. Similarly, many teenagers attend competitive schools and feel extreme pressure to get into certain colleges. 

These people may turn to heroin to numb their anxieties. Heroin is not only cheaper than most other drugs but also easier to get, especially in large cities like Atlanta. That’s because drug distribution networks are usually located in cities. 

Prescription Opioid Addiction

Other people in The Triangle might start using heroin after they become addicted to prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and codeine. Doctors prescribe these drugs to treat pain from illnesses, injuries, and surgeries. 

When people stop receiving these drugs from their doctors, they often turn to heroin, which, as an opioid, produces similar effects. 

In many cases, they’ll find that heroin causes a quicker, more intense high than other opioids. They’ll then begin using heroin regularly, increasing the risk of death. 

How Heroin Kills

The most common forms of heroin use are injection, snorting, smoking, and sniffing. All of these forms deliver the drug to your brain rapidly. The more quickly a drug enters your system, the more likely you are to overdose. Signs of heroin overdose include:

• pale, clammy skin
• bluish fingernails or lips
• slowed breathing or heartbeat
• vomiting
• loss of consciousness

Mixing heroin with other drugs increases the risk of overdose. Some drug dealers lace heroin with other drugs, including fentanyl, without telling the buyer. Fentanyl is an opioid that’s up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and responsible for numerous overdose deaths.

However, overdose isn’t the only cause of heroin-related deaths. Another cause is suicide, as long-term heroin use can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts.

Heroin can also cause other life-threatening illnesses, including:

• lung diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis 
• HIV and other bloodborne diseases from sharing needles or other drug paraphernalia
• liver, kidney, or brain damage

Other Wealthy Areas Harmed By Heroin

The Heroin Triangle isn’t the only affluent area that’s been ravaged by heroin. Other wealthy places with high rates of heroin use include Cape Cod, Massachusetts and suburbs of Chicago, Los Angeles, and Cleveland. 

Heroin Addiction Treatment

No matter where you’re from, it’s possible to recover from heroin addiction. However, most people can’t do it alone. That’s why you should attend a drug addiction treatment program.

Available on an inpatient or outpatient basis, these programs offer health services such as:

• supervised medical detox
• mental health counseling
• 12-step programs
• wellness activities like exercise and meditation
• aftercare planning to reduce the risk of relapse 

To learn more about treatment options for heroin addiction, please reach out to an Ark Behavioral Health specialist today.