After just a single dose, a rush of euphoria covers the body and creates a restless drowsy state. A state which lasts momentarily until the “mainlining” of heroin presents itself. Different from the popular stimulant “molly,” this white to dark brown substance, also known as dope, continues to fuel much public concern, especially in New Hampshire.
Heroin use has been linked to Keene and credited to an increase in recent property crime around the city. So why has heroin made a comeback? Many claim this surge in the use of the “downer” coincides with the economic situation we are currently in. Street heroin is typically less expensive and easier to access than “molly.” The accessibility and cost make it attractive for substance abuse users who cannot afford painkillers like oxycodone or other substances. However, with the lower cost come the higher risks—death of course being the highest risk. Derived from morphine, heroin makes it very difficult to detect what substances one is injecting. According to DrugFree.org, a dose can be mixed with undetectable matter causing it to be extremely dangerous for the nervous system to intake. A dose of heroin, or MDMA, can be cut with anything—even poisons. For these reasons, the user may never know exactly what they are ingesting.
Brittany Murphy / Opinions Editor: A sign hanging in Romy’s on Marlboro Street in Keene warns bypassers of the increased use of heroin in the community.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin targets the brain and interferes with perception of pain and mental functioning. This makes breaking the habit extremely difficult as the addiction and physical dependence start to develop.
“Molly” has the opposite effects in over-stimulating the body and mind. The increased growth of heroin use continues in the “live free or die” state. According to a July 2013 article by Jeremy Blackman in the Concord Monitor, heroin was responsible for the most drug overdose-related deaths last year in New Hampshire. During that same year New Hampshire received 55 million dollars in Federal Grant Awards to decrease the availability and misuse of the drugs throughout the state.
However, the troubling drug seems more prevalent right now, particularly in Keene. “Molly” and heroin use are surfacing in the news daily. The attention is there. The solution is not.
We believe the increased use and discussion displaced around the drug “molly” has been of higher priority on the Keene State College campus, but New Hampshire and the Keene Police Department have seen an increased issue with the use of heroin in the community. So far it appears KSC students have resisted becoming part of the drug trend and we commend them for that. However, according to Blackman, most heroin-related deaths in New Hampshire are concentrated in the southern half of the state. Our hope is to keep this drug far from our campus. One preventative solution may be continued, and prominent steps by the college toward campus education about heroin itself and its impact on our community. For now, we stress that students become well versed in the effects of MDMA and heroin, and remain cautious in the near future towards this seemingly prevalent drug that has found its way to the streets of Keene.
