Opinion: Why heroin costs less than cigarettes
By Lenny Bernstein, Washington Post
I’m no expert on the street price of heroin, but after talking to some people who are, I can tell you this: The illegal opiate at the center of the latest drug epidemic is very cheap. A couple of experts compared it to the price of a pack of cigarettes.
As a non-smoker, that sort of amazed me, so I decided to check. In many states, it is indeed true.
Ashley Kennedy, an addict currently in rehab, told me she could buy a bag of heroin in Baltimore for about $5. According to this survey conducted by The Awl, a pack of cigarettes costs $7.75 in Maryland. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids put the price of a pack at $6.45 in 2013. Either way, a single dose of heroin is less expensive than 20 smokes.
Pretty sad… both are bad, but heroin kills faster.
Maybe the subject of drug education can use some ink. Quality of life champ Switzerland has heroin as legal.