Perth Amboy Addiction Treatment Centers

Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and its neighboring cities in Middlesex County are at the epicenter of New Jersey’s heroin epidemic. The good news is that people are seeking help for a challenging addiction.

In 2016, 2,332 people in Middlesex County were admitted into rehabilitation centers for heroin abuse.¹ Of those patients who listed heroin as their primary substance, 151 were Perth Amboy residents.¹

With heroin being a major problem in Perth Amboy and around the nation, it’s important to be able to identify some of the potential signs of heroin use. These include:²

• Initial bursts of euphoria.
• Drowsiness.
• Mental fog.
• Slow breathing and heart rate.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Skin itching.
• Constricted pupils.

If a person takes a heroin dose that is too much for their body to handle, they can experience an overdose. This leads to respiratory and cardiovascular depressions so severe that the person can’t live without medical attention, because their heart and lungs are unable to function properly.² Death by overdose is a very real potential consequence of heroin use, and it can happen no matter whether it’s a person’s first or thousandth time taking the drug.

Signs of overdose include:³

• Pale, clammy skin.
• Limp limbs.
• Blue-tinted skin.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Unresponsiveness.
• Slowed or stopped breathing and/or heart rate.

If you witness a heroin overdose, call 911 right away.

If you or someone you love is addicted to heroin or another drug in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, know that help is available. Search through our directory to find resources and professionals who can help you recover in a Perth Amboy rehab facility or one in a neighboring city.

Sources

1. Department of Human Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services. (2017). New Jersey Drug and Alcohol Treatment, 2016, Substance Abuse Overview Middlesex County.
2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Research Reports: Heroin.
3. Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force. Opioid Overdose Education.