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Heroin leads to more overdoses in Jefferson Parish

On Behalf of | Nov 27, 2013 | Drug Charges, Firm News |

Drug charges are one of the few that can make an immediate impact on your life. You could find that the charges hurt you at work, home, and in your social life. If you’ve been accused of drug trafficking or other drug-related crimes, you might want to consider legal representation to protect your reputation.

The media loves drug stories, but Louisianan readers won’t likely love this latest report about the rise in deaths related to Heroin use in Jefferson Parish. According to reports from Nov. 26, the parish is leading the state in confirmed heroin-related deaths, with 61 recorded this year as of Nov. 22. In fact, the findings show that 117 people have died from drug-related injuries in the parish so far this year, even those that aren’t related to heroin.

This statewide surge in heroin deaths may be worrisome to those living in the areas where deaths have been spiking, like Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany. Some people believe that the drug has become more prominent as the state has cracked down on illegal prescription drug use, and now they believe people are turning to the streets for high-purity heroin. Additionally, a 2009 program to monitor the prescriptions given by doctors helped eliminate overprescribing pain medications, and this helped police go after pill mills and dealers. Because of this, illegal drugs like heroin may have become the item to turn to.

Reports also claim that now that prescription medications are harder to get, it’s more lucrative for dealers to work with heroin. The Louisiana market is allegedly saturated with cocaine dealers as well, so some have moved on to sell heroin.

With drugs being such a huge problem, it’s likely that the state will be cracking down with higher penalties. If you’ve been charged with a drug crime, you may want to look into all your options for defense.

Source: 
Nola.com, “Heroin fuels surge in deadly overdoses in Jefferson Parish” Michelle Hunter, Nov. 26, 2013

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