A state report released Wednesday finds that deaths and substance abuse treatment related to heroin have surged in the Granite State in recent years.
New Hampshire hospitals reported 45 heroin-related deaths last year.
According to the report by the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services, that’s up from 14 deaths in 2010.
The bureau’s director Joe Harding says one of the biggest issues is the harmful ingredients often found in heroin that can have devastating consequences.
“The fentanyl-laced heroin, for example. All of the drug deaths associated with that. And so when people are using heroin, they don’t really know for sure what they’re getting.”
It also documents that admissions to state-funded programs to treat heroin and prescription drug addicts have nearly doubled in the past decade, with the biggest spike coming last year.
And law enforcement officials say increased use is driving up crime rates, including burglaries, robberies and assaults.
The report calls on policy makers to ensure healthcare benefits cover substance abuse disorder treatment, including medication-assisted treatment.
