JACKSON, Miss. — Prescription drug abuse is fueling the rise of heroin usage. According to Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Marshall Fisher, that is why heroin usage is up in Mississippi.
“What is happening, the addicts are figuring out they can get heroin on the street, cheaper, and with much less risk than prescription drugs. It’s risky if they are trying to forge prescriptions or break into pharmacies,” said Fisher.
The opiates found in heroin effect the body similar to prescription drugs such hydrocodone and oxycotton. The receptors in the brain in the brain stem effected by the drug control automatic processes such as blood pressure, arousal, and respiration. Most heroin overdoses can sometimes involve the suppression of breathing which can be fatal.
