Heroin addiction treatment

Heroin Treatment in North Dakota

The use and supply of heroin in North Dakota is limited. The BCI states that there have been very few heroin investigations. Police and Law enforcement officials report that Mexican black tar heroin is the main type of heroin available, although Mexican brown powdered heroin is occasionally found in the state.

Heroin abuse in the state of North Dakota is stable at the lower levels. Gathered TEDS information indicates that heroin-related treatment admissions peaked at 14 in 1996 but decreased overall to 9 in 1999.  Throughout North Dakota State in 1999, males composed 66.7 percent of heroin treatment admissions to facilities that are publicly funded. In the same year, 77.8 percent of substance abuse admissions were Caucasian, while 11.1 percent were Native American/Alaskan Aboriginal. The largest abuser age group--ages 31 to 35--accounted for 44.4 per-cent of heroin treatment admissions by far.

Heroin is normally injected, sniffed/snorted, or smoked. Usually, a heroin abuser may inject up to four times per day. Intravenous injection provides the quickest and biggest intensity and most rapid onset of euphoria (7 to 8 seconds), while intra muscular injection produces a relatively slow onset of euphoria (5 to 8 minutes). When heroin is sniffed or smoked, peak effects are normally felt within 10 to 15 minutes. Although smoking and sniffing heroin do not produce a "rush" as fast or as intense as intravenous injection, NIDA researchers have confirmed that all three forms of heroin administration are highly addictive.

Injection continues to be the predominant method of heroin use among addicted heroin users seeking addiction treatment; however, researchers have observed a shift in heroin use administration patterns, from injection to sniffing and smoking.