Drug Name
The article “Tracing the U.S. heroin surge back south of the border as Mexican cannabis output falls” by Nick Miroff explains why heroin is a major challenge in the country today. The author begins by explaining how cheap heroin continues to spread across the country. The author uses the article to explain why heroin might become the biggest drug issue in the coming years. According to Miroff (1), “the price of bhang has decreased, thus forcing drug farmers in Mexico to fill their farms with opium poppies.”
This drug has become common in the American market because more people are abusing prescription painkillers. This situation explains why Mexican traffickers continue to explore new markets for different drugs such as heroin. This article helps the reader understand why heroin has replaced marijuana. The Mexicans are no longer producing marijuana because it has become less profitable.
According to Miroff (2), this drug is affecting different populations across the country. Most of the people who use painkillers are now using heroin as a substitute. This scenario has increased the demand for heroin in the country. The drug is widely used by individuals between the age of 20 and 40. This age group has continued to die after overdosing the drug.
The study also shows how people in the south are able to access this illegal drug. Recent studies show that more people will be taking heroin in the coming years (Miroff 2). Many people are also using it for medical purposes. The drug makes the user inactive or unproductive. The drug also affects both the short-term and long-term memory of the user. The government should consider the best practices in order to deal with heroin.
Summary of the Article
This article is interesting because it highlights some new facts about the origin and popularity of heroin in the country. Heroin has replaced marijuana in the United States. The article goes further to examine why farmers have diversified to produce heroin. The current legal changes continue to make heroin acceptable and profitable. These facts are relevant and interesting because they explain why heroin remains a major challenge in the country.
The article also highlights how “heroin is smuggled into the country using different concealments” (Miroff 4). The drug has also become expensive because a kilo costs over $60,000. The author has also researched widely to understand how the drug dealers dilute heroin using powdered milk or lactose. The other outstanding fact is that the demand for heroin in the United States is on the rise. This situation continues to keep wholesale prices for the drug extremely high (Miroff 4).
The discussions and ideas presented in the article are meaningful. The author reintroduces the issue of drug use in the country. I decided to use Miroff’s article because it explains why heroin has become a threat. The author introduces new facts about the current position of heroin in the country. The argument is likable because it examines the possible origin of the drug in Sinaloa State, Mexico. The author identifies some of the tricks used in the transportation of heroin.
I chose the article because it presents timely ideas about the continued use and availability of heroin in the country (Miroff 5). In conclusion, the government should use these leads in order to deal with the drug before it affects more citizens in the country.
Works Cited
Miroff, Nick. “Tracing the U.S. heroin surge back south of the border as Mexican cannabis output falls.” The Washington Post 2014: 1-5. Web.