HEP C On Rise In Louisville and State; Heroin Blamed

[tednlou2]

We have been hearing how heroin use has skyrocketed here, and I'm sure this is the case in many cities and towns.  There seems to be a nightly report of a heroin drug arrest or raid.  Many blame prescription narcotics getting harder to obtain.  I feared we would start seeing a rise in Hep C and HIV.  I was saddened to see this is apparently coming to fruition-- well, at least for Hep C and affecting a much younger demographic.  I can only assume there will also be an increase in HIV cases.

This article doesn't give any hard numbers here locally.  However, they do say Kentucky has the most Hep C cases of any state, according to the CDC.  Prescription drug abuse is also very high here.  In all those stories about Florida's drug-mills, they always pointed out license plates from KY.  And, Florida is making it harder to get them.  So, many turn to heroin, as it is cheaper and getting easier to get.

I'm not sure if that means new cases or total.  It is hard for me to believe total cases in the whole country, as we only have about 4 million citizens.  I will have to do my own research.  I would think they could have easily found stats on the number of infections, so I will have to look into that.  I do know I hear several stories of someone's brother, sister, mother, etc using heroin now, which was something I never heard in years past.  Before, it was meth or other drugs.  I know about 10 people, who have a loved one currently using, in jail, or in an addiction center.  I hope officials get on this and try to do something.  Free, clean needles would be the first place to start, I think.  And, switching our priorities from spending millions on jails and prison to spending that on prevention and addiction.

http://www.wave3.com/story/24038227/hepatitis-c-heroin-use-rising?utm_content=buffer2b345&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Buffer

[WillyWump]

kinda OT but we are in the midst of a Syphillis outbreak here in SA, jsut plain old whoring around is blamed.

Whats heartbreaking is that a lot of babies are being born with active Syphillis , some are handicapped or deformed

You would think in this day and age babies wouldn't be born with Syph, but alot of women here do not receive prenatal care and are unaware they are infected.