Heroin use in Atlanta continues to rise in high concentrations!

Georgia’s Heroin Triangle

Heroin use in Atlanta continues to rise in high concentrations. In 2016, 306 people in Cobb County, home to the city of Marietta, died from an overdose. A further 359 people died in the same year in Fulton county notably, in Alpharetta and Johns Creek. Together these locations have created the heroin triangle which represents the highest overdose death rates recorded in county health records.

Additionally, opioids have been a recognised problem in the state and drug dealers have been known to cut synthetic opioids into the poppy-derived heroin they sell, however others deal solely in illicit pills. Fentanyl, an opioid pain medication, is being used to increase the potency of heroin as it is 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Carfentanil is another opioid added to some heroin batches, this is essentially an elephant tranquilizer. The drug is even more potent than fentanyl and was never intended for human consumption. As little as half a grain of sand of Carfentanil is enough to kill a human.

From Prescription Pills to Addiction

There are many ways to people are accessing these opioids for example, after an injury or surgical procedure a physician may administer some of these opioids to help patients manage pain. Relatives and friends may be another route supplying them for recreational use.

Opioids block pain receptors and release endorphins in the brain. They also slow respiration and stave off anxiety. This becomes an addictive feeling for many people and when the high wears off the psychological and physical craving for the next dose hits as the body’s natural opioid response may fail to work properly.

DoA IV: Prescription Drugs

Using the highest quality antibodies cultivated at our HQ, Randox Toxicology have the most sensitive and advanced technology for the detection of prescription drugs of abuse. Our DoA IV panel utilises our patented Biochip Array Technology and covers a range of prescribed misused drugs including tramadol, dextromethorphan and tricyclic antidepressant.

Designed to work across a wide variety of matrices such as whole blood, urine and oral fluid, this revolutionary multi-analyte testing platform allows toxicologists to achieve a complete immunoassay profile in the initial screening phase from one single sample.

Continually keeping up with the ever-changing drugs of abuse market, Randox Toxicologyalso have an additional 20 Biochip Array panels. As providers of the highest quality ELISA kits on the market including fentanyl and carfentanil, we have the largest and most extensive toxicology test menu!

For more information about our DoA IV panel or our revolutionary technology, visit us at this year’s ASCLD conference taking place May 20-24th, in Atlanta.

We hope to see you there!