Here in New Jersey, 781 people lost their lives to heroin in 2014, marking the fourth straight year the total has increased, state data shows.
Heroin-related deaths in the United States and particularly in New Jersey have reached alarming proportions.
Consider these stark figures: Nationally, more than 8,000 people died from heroin use in 2013, a nearly four-fold increase since 2002, according to a tally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here in New Jersey, 781 people lost their lives to heroin in 2014, marking the fourth straight year the total has increased, state data shows.
If you factor in overdose deaths from other drugs, the toll is much higher.
But the scourge of heroin is rightfully gaining more attention because its use has exploded and the fallout touches not only those who become slaves to the drug but those who witness its destructive nature.
The war on drugs, heralded with great fanfare by President Richard Nixon in 1971, has largely been a bust. It has become patently obvious that we can't "arrest" our way out of this problem.
Thankfully, prevention and treatment are now playing a bigger role.
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Gov. Chris Christie backed this emphasis on treatment in December when he pointed out that drug addiction needs to be treated as a disease rather than a crime.
Earlier this year, Christie signed three bills into law dealing with heroin and opioids, the first of a package of 21 introduced by legislators led by state Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) last fall.
Last month, the White House announced a new strategy proposed by the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program that calls for pairing law enforcement officials with public health workers. The program also touts treatment over jail.
Unfortunately, the demand for treatment greatly exceeds the services available.
Many treatment facilities in New Jersey have waiting lists dozens of people long, frustrating many seeking help. Worse yet, very few addicts ultimately have the means or insurance to pay for treatment, according to substance abuse experts.
Private insurance was used to cover just 10 percent of all treatment admissions in New Jersey in 2014, down from 22 percent the year before.
There clearly needs to be a greater financial commitment to match the rhetoric for treatment.
One of the bright spots in the prevention of heroin overdose deaths has been the opiate antidote naloxone, commonly known by the trade name Narcan.
It proved to be very effective in a pilot program started in April 2014 in Ocean and Monmouth counties, where law enforcement agencies were equipped with Narcan.
Officials reported a 90 percent success rate with Narcan. Two months later, Christie announced he would be expanding the program statewide.
But the price of Narcan has doubled due to rising demand. So a special shout-out of thanks needs to go to Barnabas Health-affiliated hospitals, CentraState Medical Center and Meridian Health-affiliated hospitals that have agreed to replenish Narcan free of charge for law enforcement officers in Ocean and Monmouth counties.
Officials, however, are quick to point out that while Narcan is a lifesaver it does not cure addiction. That's where we still need treatment that is accessible.