Study reveals Florida addicts are mixing opiates and narcotics

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by Change | 1 Jul 2010

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Increasing numbers of people in Florida appear to be mixing opiates and narcotics, new studies have found.

Fewer people in South Florida are requiring drug addiction intervention following the abuse of cocaine and heroin.

In spite of this, two reports published this week have revealed an increase in drug-related deaths in the state as a whole, The Miami Herald reports.

Researchers from Nova Southeastern University's Center for the Study and Prevention of substance abuse (SPSA) and the Florida Medical Examiners Commission found there had been 8,600 deaths related to drug abuse in the state last year.

This is a notable rise from the 6,200 recorded in 2008, with experts stating that the increase is partly attributable to the mixing of opiates and narcotics.

James Hall, the SPSA's director said that, in the past, those who preferred heroin and cocaine had simply stuck to these drugs.

"The same goes for people who've fed their addictions through prescription drugs. They're combining them now," he told the newspaper.

It is estimated that there are more than two million people in the US in need of cocaine addiction support.

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