Heroin Makes Comeback in the Midwest

According to the National Drug Intelligence Center’s (NDIC) National Drug Threat Assessment, heroin use has jumped 25 percent in the Great Lakes Region within the last year. Authorities believe heroin is making a comeback due to the difficulty in obtaining OxyContin, which is very similar in chemical composition to its illicit counterpart. Typically, heroin is also cheaper on the streets than prescription painkillers that are being diverted for illegal purchase.
 
The Assessment also reports that increased heroin production in Mexico and increased involvement of Mexican drug traffickers in the distribution of South American heroin have contributed to wider heroin availability in many U.S. markets, including somewhere the drug was previously unavailable.
 
If your business is seeing signs of drug abuse, learn how a drug-free workplace program can identify the signs of abuse, and address the use of drugs in the workplace.