Jersey City, New Jersey is currently having problem with high rates of Opioid usage conditions and drug trafficking, especially relating to fentanyl. Thankfully, the city is house to several rehab centers.
Drug And Alcohol Dependency In Jersey City, New Jersey
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With a population of over 250,000, Jersey City is one of the fastest growing towns in New Jersey and is the 2nd most populated city in the state. Jersey City works as the county seat of Hudson County and is presently experiencing an addiction crisis that is comparably even worse than any other city in the district. Over the previous decade, the town has actually been seriously impacted by the Opioid epidemic that has actually spread across the United States. Drug overdose, specifically due to opioids, is among the primary causes of death in both Jersey City and the state. In 2019, Jersey City admitted 51% of all drug abuse treatment admissions in the entire county. The majority of those looking for treatment that year noted Heroin as their primary drug of abuse.
The Opioid Crisis
The whole state of New Jersey remains in the middle of an opioid crisis, and Jersey City has actually not been spared of its devastating impacts. In reality, of the 565 towns in New Jersey, Jersey City is reportedly in the top 7% for heroin and prescription opioid abuse. A fact from the County Health Rankings in New Jersey reveals 187 opioid-related overdose deaths took place in Hudson County alone in 2016. In addition, the New Jersey Department of Human Solutions reports that the variety of individuals looking for treatment for Heroin and prescription Opioid use in Hudson County has been steadily increasing given that 2014, without any indication of slowing down at any time quickly.
In Jersey City alone, 765 individuals, or 37% of all treatment admissions in the city, reported heroin as their primary drug of abuse, while another 46 individuals or 2% reported “other opiates” as their primary drug of abuse. Data from the New Jersey State Attorney General’s Workplace shows that from January of 2018 to January of 2019, just 53,127 opioid prescriptions were dispensed in Hudson County, which has actually been decreasing given that the year 2016. However, drug-related deaths continue to increase in Jersey City. This shows that while prescription opioid abuse may be slowing, an even deadlier opioid drug is taking its location– Fentanyl.
The paradox of an increasing opioid death rate with a falling prescription rate is due primarily to heroin and fentanyl.
– Dr. Lewis S. Nelson, MD, Director of Medical Toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Heroin stays the leading drug of abuse among those seeking dependency treatment in Jersey City, however the prevalence of fentanyl is a current and growing advancement. Fentanyl is a powerful illicit drug that is 100 times more powerful than morphine, making the danger of overdose much higher than other opiates. It is not unusual for individuals to utilize fentanyl at the exact same time as heroin and crack cocaine, as these compounds are frequently laced with the drug. Of the 147 individuals who passed away of drug overdoses in Hudson County in 2017, fentanyl was included 69 times– that’s a 102% increase from the year prior to. Heroin was used in 84 of the overdose deaths, which is an increase of 9% from 2016.
In response to this disconcerting pattern, Hudson County officials are trying to curb substance abuse by hosting several drug take-back events throughout the city and helpful training sessions on how to administer the overdose turnaround drug Naloxone. The use of Naloxone has proven to be a powerful tool in combating the opioid crisis in Jersey City. Last year, it was used 683 times in Hudson County– a 238% boost from 2017 when it was deployed 202 times. In addition, the Collaboration for a Drug-Free New Jersey is working to raise awareness in the neighborhood and educate teens and tweens on the dangers of opioid drugs.
Jersey City: A Center For Drug Trafficking
Jersey City is a popular center for illicit compound trafficking, as the transportation infrastructure is ideal for smuggling drugs into the location. As a part of the New York city, Jersey City is bounded on the east by the Hudson River and Upper New York City Bay and on the west by the Hackensack River and Newark Bay. The city shares considerable mass transit connections with Manhattan and is a crucial transportation terminus and warehouse for the Port of New York and New Jersey. With several busy seaports, a worldwide airport close by, and miles of highways, Jersey City has actually become a crucial element in drug trafficking activities throughout New Jersey. The city’s well-developed transportation infrastructure is preferably matched for the motion of illicit drugs and drug proceeds to and from the area. Multi-kilogram to metric ton amounts of drugs are transported to Jersey City from drug source and transit countries such as Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
Columbian Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) have actually ended up being the main source of illicit drugs in the state of New Jersey. Drug shipments arriving in the region are usually divided into smaller sized amounts for regional circulation within the state and after that transferred to other locations beyond the state. Drugs supplied to Upstate New york city are normally carried by traffickers along I-87 and I-90. Illegal drugs likewise are transferred overland to the area from the West Coast, Southwest Border states, and Canada. Newark Liberty International Airport provides numerous flights daily to and from the area, and drug traffickers typically exploit them to help with drug transport. The Port of New York/New Jersey in Jersey City is the biggest container port complex on the East Coast of North America and offers opportunities for maritime smuggling.
In action to the growing trafficking concern in the surrounding areas of New york city and New Jersey, the Office of National Drug Control Policy developed the New Jersey/New York High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative to decrease illegal drug availability and get rid of drug trafficking organizations in the region and beyond. The biggest drug threats determined in the NY/NJ HIDTA consist of heroin, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and Marijuana. Although all of these drugs are transported and abused by local populations, heroin presents the greatest threat. Heroin is frequently abused in the area, and its abuse has actually spread to new and younger populations. To combat drug smuggling and other prohibited activity on the highways and waterways of Jersey City, the New Jersey state authorities instituted “Operation Shield” to increase awareness and patrol of transport systems. Additionally, Hudson County officials have assembled a job force that continually works with a range of local, state, and nationwide companies to reduce trafficking, consisting of the DEA, U.S. Marshalls, FBI, and even the U.S. postal service.
Jersey City Drug Abuse Data
- 174 Overdose Deaths: In 2019, there were 174 overdose deaths in New Jersey.
- 553 Citizens: In 2020, 553 for every single 100,000 homeowners sought treatment in Hudson County.
- 41 Percent: Around 41% of all HIV infections in the state of New Jersey are due to sharing contaminated syringes for drug use.
Discover Addiction Treatment Today
Dependency can be difficult to end, but anybody who wants to recover their life from substance abuse can achieve a full healing with support. If you’re trying to find addiction treatment services in the Jersey City location, felt confident that there is a wide range of top quality and economical alternatives readily available to you. For more information, call a treatment supplier today.
