Meth Use on the Rise Throughout New Hampshire

Meth use is on the rise in New Hampshire after years of dormancy, hidden in the shadows of the opioid epidemic. Meth labs were popping up in neighborhood homes, being found after domestic violence calls, and in many burglaries and street crime arrests during the early 2000’s. People were being put in danger due to the fumes, chemical burns and chemical explosions that come along with meth use and labs. In some states, there were multiple meth lab explosions each day, injuring innocent by standards and the police officers who responded to them. The meth crisis even affected the number of violent crimes such as robberies, in some cities. The number of lethal meth overdoses has continued to rise throughout the past five years and has risen 21% just from 2017 to 2018. Many people believed that meth is a “west coast” problem, however it has been popping up throughout the northeastern states such as New Hampshire. Detective Ralph Hale of The Franklin New Hampshire Police department spoke to Meredith Meng, Director of Operations at Blueprint Recovery Center, about the increase in meth seizures throughout New Hampshire. He explained that when going back through evidence over the last 24 months, 80% of drugs seized on the streets were methamphetamines and heroin or fentanyl only accounted for 15%. In Concord emergency centers and police officers are now being trained on de-escalating patients who exhibit symptoms of meth abuse.

Many experts believe that the increase in meth abuse throughout the New England region is being overshadowed by the opioid epidemic, because there just aren’t as many solutions for meth addiction or overdose. There is no naloxone for meth overdose, or suboxone for people trying to ween off meth. Other researches have suggested that the vivitrol shot could have something to do with the increase of people abusing stimulants. People once believed vivitrol would be able to “cure” the opioid epidemic, since people given the shot would not be able to get high, they would just stop using. Vivitrol blocks the opioid receptors in the brain, which means that once you get the shot, you can no longer get high on heroin or opioid pills. However, vivitrol may help people stay off opioids, but it is not fixing the addiction. Instead patients are turning to different drugs to get their high from, such as meth.

Addiction has many layers, it is spiritual, mental and physical, which is why there is not one cure. Using only the vivitrol shot is not a cure. Focusing on the drug of choice is not the cure. Instead of trying to come up with a solution for the opioid crisis or the meth crisis, we need to begin working on the addiction crisis, which is what Blueprint Recovery Center aims to do. You don’t have to live another day in the cycle of your addiction, whether it is meth you are using, heroin or alcohol, you can choose a new life today. Call one of our admissions specialists now to begin working with a team of dedicated professionals who have been where you are and want to see you succeed in sobriety. Reach out for help today by calling 833-440-8643.