Key Data From Drug Overdose Deaths
Many fictional TV shows and big screen movies have publicized how easy it is to distribute drugs in the United States. There are also regular news stories regarding arrests and seizures of large quantities of illegal narcotics. Sadly, too many news stories highlight the fatal overdose of either a famous or everyday person. Recently, articles detailing an opioid overdose or more specifically, a Fentanyl overdose, have made the headlines at too frequent a rate. Also in the news, an L.A. Times article on a specific drug trafficking operation detailing an actor accused of delivering for the ring was published on February 28, 2022. The Hollywood drug delivery business article highlights and confirms the ease of obtaining illegal substances at will.
The years 2020 and 2021 have seen substantial increases in the number of drug overdose deaths, with Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids being at the center of the cause of the rise in these already devastating numbers. Drug abuse treatment organizations like Muse Treatment have had to ramp up and modify their care options to assist law enforcement, and other agencies like federal and state drug enforcement agencies address the issue. The opioid epidemic has gone on for decades in the United States, and it’s not just well-known places like L.A. County that have felt the sting of the number of overdoses that result in death going up. Small towns have been affected by instances of opioid overdose too. If this topic hits home, give us a call at Muse Treatment to find out how we can help you with your substance abuse treatment or care for one of your loved ones. We are here to help and will provide any information you need about rehab options for prescription and illicit drugs and drug overdose prevention.
Drug Delivery Operation in L.A. County
The drug trafficking ring allegedly run by Mirela Todorova and who employed aspiring actors and actresses like Kather Sei, was brought to light by the L.A. Times after the overdose death of Ray Mascolo. The drugs that Mascolo ordered from the app-driven drug delivery business were apparently laced with Fentanyl, which has been the cause of drug overdoses across the country. The Hollywood drug delivery system that Todorova created was easy to use due to payments via popular payment apps but also ended up being easy to trace for law enforcement. Delivery drivers and the head of the drug trafficking ring left plenty of virtual breadcrumbs for police in L.A. County to follow once they picked up the trail. The silver lining to this purchase of drugs laced with Fentanyl is that the high-profile zip code shined a bright light on the underlying issue. Opioid overdose cases, especially instances of a Fentanyl overdose, were happening everywhere. The Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has created a unique display dedicated to Fentanyl overdose cases that result in death, allowing people to use social media to submit pictures of those affected by the crisis. Additionally, May 10, 2022, was recognized as the first-ever Fentanyl Awareness Day.
Role of Fentanyl in Recent Overdose Deaths
Situations involving Fentanyl overdose have significantly added to the number of instances resulting in death that hospitals, rehabs, and other agencies are seeing over the last two years. One of the major issues that cause more cases of a Fentanyl overdose is the fact that it is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, a well-known and long-used opioid painkiller. Additionally, people are addicted to opioids taking Fentanyl in pill form, and many other drugs are being laced with Fentanyl to increase their potency. Heroin is one example of a commonly known street drug that was found to contain Fentanyl when confiscated. This leads to drug overdose deaths because even people who have used opioids for a long period of time do not know the potency of the heroin or other drug when it is laced with Fentanyl. Fentanyl overdose cases have also occurred when individuals have purchased block market painkillers, like counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained Fentanyl. Drug overdose deaths make many headlines but quickly fade into people’s memories when it does not affect them or their community. However, sooner or later, people will realize that this is not something only happening in big cities or particular segments of society. Still, everyone will know someone who has been touched by drug abuse and the opioid overdose crisis sooner or later.
See if Fentanyl played a role in the death of Foo Fighthers drummer Taylor Hawkins:
Addiction Treatment for Opioids
Drug overdoses are significant issues on the radar of all substance abuse treatment organizations, like Muse Treatment. A major part of drug abuse treatment is learning life skills, including relapse prevention. Drug abuse therapists and counselors involved in all aspects of addiction recovery treatment focus on helping individuals learn how to either avoid or work through situations that have triggered drug use in their past. Abuse and addiction to synthetic opioids often take multiple courses of treatment for a patient to enter recovery successfully. This can include drug detox, inpatient treatment, outpatient therapy, and sometimes specialized programs in one or more of these areas. Synthetic opioids are created in labs and possess the same addictive qualities as those made from the opium plant, like heroin. Even people who take prescription synthetic opioids as directed by their physician can build up a tolerance, and anyone taking prescribed medication should always inform their doctor of a change in the drug’s effectiveness.
Treatment Options for Substance Abuse
Thankfully it hasn’t taken America hearing about a drug trafficking ring in the Hollywood Hills of L.A. County to conclude that we need options for substance abuse treatment. First and foremost, there are dozens and dozens of addictive substances across various categories for drug abuse treatment organizations to design care plans for their clients. This has led to the development of addiction therapies that take many different approaches to treat someone dealing with drug abuse. Some of these therapies fall into the major categories of a group, individual, and family therapy. Then there are more specific types of substance abuse treatment therapies like gender-specific group therapy, didactic therapy, psychoeducational therapy, music therapy, holistic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and rational emotive behavior therapy, among many others. There are also many strategies for relapse prevention planning that are taught during different phases of addiction recovery care. People struggling with drug abuse often make many excuses for why they do not want to seek treatment. They convince themselves that they would never have cocaine, meth, opioid overdose, or any other major problem because they have their use under control. Even if that were true, individuals are getting drugs laced with Fentanyl without their knowledge and having overdoses that result in death while doing what they think is their normal amount of a substance.
Inpatient and Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment
There are several general categories of substance abuse treatment. Inpatient programs and outpatient treatment are two of the major areas of drug abuse care. Inpatient or residential treatment programs are care plans that occur 100% at a drug rehab center. Patients abusing synthetic opioids, cocaine and MDMA, or any other substances reside 24 hours a day in the treatment facility. The programs can include many types of therapy and clients often meet in groups and one-on-one with their primary drug abuse counselor every day. Outpatient substance abuse treatment allows clients to have the flexibility to attend seasons throughout the week, at a cadence agreed upon by them and their substance abuse counselor, and still go to work and school and stay in their own home. Many outpatient programs offer a higher level of care without clients staying in a drug abuse treatment facility, including Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP). Sometimes outpatient substance abuse programs are paired with stays in sober homes. Whatever a patient needs, our counselors will design a plan for them that fits their situation best. At Muse Treatment, we know that our patients need to be comfortable in their environment to succeed.
Why Choose Muse for Substance Abuse Treatment
At Muse Treatment, we are here to help people in the L.A. County area and beyond with their drug rehab needs. We read the national news and know exactly what is going on in the world and outside our front door. It’s easy to distribute drugs in the U.S., which means it’s easy to purchase them. Thankfully we’ve made it easy to find the proper addiction treatment too. Even one opioid overdose, Fentanyl overdose, cocaine overdose, or otherwise is too many. We can help prevent drug overdose deaths by having readily available, custom-tailored substance abuse treatment programs for people in L.A. County and beyond.
If you are struggling with drug abuse involving synthetic opioids or other substances, please call us at (800) 426-1818 today. We are here to answer any questions you may have about our programs.
