Heroin crisis causing hepatitis C cases to skyrocket

BOSTON — New data obtained by FOX25 revealed the heroin epidemic is leading to a new public health problem in Massachusetts.

The number of Hepatitis C cases is skyrocketing and it is having a big impact on recovering addicts, their families and the state.

Timmy Droz is a recovering heroin addict and is now battling Hepatitis C.  He said his new battle is a life changing consequence of the state's heroin crisis.

"Just because you get clean doesn't mean everything goes back to the way it is.  It's not all rainbows and puppy dogs," he told FOX25.

Droz's story of addiction is a familiar one.  The father of two grew up in an upper middle class home in Newton and became hooked first on painkillers prescribed after he was injured while serving in the Army.  The addiction to pain killers led to heroin.

Two years ago, he got high with a woman who was upfront with him that she had hepatitis C. Droz used her needle anyway and did not care about the consequences.

"I didn't care. The heroin was more important to me at that time than anything," he said.

When drug addicts share needles they are also sharing bodily fluids, which is how Hepatitis C is transmitted.
It attacks the liver and can cause liver failure or liver cancer.

Dr. Ray Chung, Director of Hepatology at Mass. General Hospital, said Hepatitis C can lead to even more deadly diagnoses.

"In fact liver cancer - particularly triple hepatitis C - but liver cancer as a whole, is the fastest rising cause of cancer death in this country," he said.

Chung and Massachusetts Public Health officials believe there is a direct correlation between the rise in heroin use and the rise in Hepatitis C among young people.

FOX25 found Hepatitis C rates have been steadily increasing in Massachusetts over the past decade.

• More than 9,000 confirmed and probable cases in 2015, compared to more than 7,000 in 2005.
• In 2015 close to 5,000 of the cases were 15- to 39-year-olds.

Timmy Droz  has the most aggressive form of Hepatitis C. It has damaged his liver and pancreas so badly he now has all of the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes.  He fears he's on borrowed time, "there's still 1 in 5 chance that I'm not going to make it."

The Department of Public Health told FOX25 they are working to stop the spread of Hepatitis-C.
They said they perform about 30,000 tests a year to screen for.  They also have six funded state programs that include need exchange services, education and outreach.

Cox Media Group