Is it possible to overcome heroin addiction? Heroin overdose was the cause of 227 deaths in Wisconsin in 2013. Like the nation, Wisconsin is facing a public health crisis. Valerie Minard reports in MyCentralNew Jersey.com, a Ganett publication, May 14, 2014 about John Coltrane overcoming heroin addiction. Read how in this excerpt from her article and click at the bottom of the page to read the full article.
For many, John Coltrane is one of the great American jazz saxophonists and composers. He pushed jazz into new realms during the 1950s and 60s, playing with the likes of Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. What perhaps is not so well known is how he kicked heroin addiction cold turkey and attributed his transformation to a spiritual awakening and the “grace of God.”
Heroin addiction has today taken center stage in the U.S., in light of the recent fatal overdose of actor Seymour Hoffman. It more than doubled from 2007 to 2012 and it is an “urgent public health crisis,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.
Experts say there are several leading contributors to the epidemic. First, the higher purity of heroin gives a more intense high. Second, it’s cheaper than other hard drugs. But, thirdly, and probably the most important factor, is the increased use of highly addictive prescription painkillers. Once hooked, addicts look for a cheaper high and often find it in heroin.