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This is a large collection of stories and photos of heroin overdose and opioid related deaths from the United States. Many opioid deaths are now caused by fentanyl overdoses. This post will span multiple pages and will include crime scene, hospital, and funeral sets with many before and after pictures. Make sure to look at the other pages.

The US declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency in 2017. Figures by the CDC show 64,070 people died from drug overdoses in 2016, and approximately three-fourths of all drug overdoses were caused by opioids. 116 people a day die from opioid related overdoses in the United States.

The opioid crisis can be described in three waves. The first wave started in the late 1990s with an increase in opioid prescriptions like oxycodone. The second wave followed in 2010 with heroin when opioid prescriptions were cut back. The third wave began in 2013 with the rise of synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin that’s skyrocketed to become the deadliest drug in America. Deaths by synthetic opioids doubled in just one year to 20,145 people in 2016. In many cases, fentanyl is laced into heroin and other common illicit drugs.

The first set are heroin overdose crime scene photos and look like they’re from Oregon based off of the mugshots.

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A 21 year old man from Hampstead, North Carolina died on April 5th, 2016 as a result of a heroin overdose.

The Victim’s mother went into her son’s room and found him on the floor, unresponsive, his arms spread out and drug paraphernalia around him. The victim’s brother and sister helped, calling 911. The mother gave her son mouth to mouth, chest compressions and Narcan, a drug that can treat narcotic overdoses in emergency situations.

The victim’s tongue was purple. His mother and siblings screamed at him, trying to wake him up before EMS took over.

“When I tried to breathe in his mouth, he was cold and clammy already,” the mother said.

The victim was on life support at New Hanover Regional Medical Center until Thursday evening when he was scheduled to be taken off ventilation to donate his organs, as per the victim’s wishes.

A mother says she’s found peace after the woman who sold her son the drugs that killed him has pleaded guilty in his death. She was sentenced to 2.75 to 4.8 years in prison.

A photo of the mother laying across her son’s body, crying into the hospital bed sheets, was shared all over social media as her posts about the downfalls of addiction were shared again and again.

“Today is important to me not because it will bring my son back to me or erase the pain and emptiness I feel everyday,” the mother’s statement read. “It is letting other drug dealers know that no longer are we overlooking the murders they commit just because they involve an addict.”

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On August 14, 2017, a 22 year old woman from Howell, Michigan died as a result of a heroin overdose laced with fentanyl.

Desperately holding onto her daughter, a mother from Howell looked out the window of Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit Monday wondering how she got here.

"She's my only daughter, my best friend," the victim’s mother said. "She was supposed to start her new job today, now she's on life support."

Outside the hospital is the Burger King on McNichols and Schaefer. That is where her 22-year-old daughter who has battled addiction for seven years stopped with a friend Thursday evening.

“She pulled in here to use the restroom and after 20-25 minutes, he thought it was odd she didn’t come back out,” the mother said.

The victim was found unconscious in the restroom and sent to Sinai-Grace Hospital nearby.

The victim’s mother said her daughter’s liver and kidneys were failing, and that her muscles were deteriorating. A scan on Monday showed no sign of activity in her brain.

The mother says the victim grew up in a loving home in Howell, Mich., but her daughter's addiction began back in 2010 with prescription drugs to cope with her abusive boyfriend.

That boyfriend, who has since been convicted of domestic violence, along with other crimes, is also the father of her daughter’s son.

And now, as this mother says goodbye, forced to take her only daughter off life support Monday, she hopes a photo with her hospitalized daughter will force other parents, other addicts - everyone - to wake up.

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A 23 year old recovering heroin addict overdosed on counterfeit xanax pills potentially laced with fentanyl. He’s from an area known as the Heroin Triangle which is a middle to upper class suburban area north of Atlanta, Georgia that has seen the largest spike of heroin overdoses in the state.

Atlanta is also experiencing an increase with counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl that are disguised as xanax and oxycodone.

He had very high anxiety, for 3 days in a row. My son had just turned 23 and was looking for a job. He had asked a friend on the 3rd day for a Xanax to help him sleep. Now he sleeps forever. It has been the hardest 6 months of my life... prayers for all mothers going through this nightmare.

The local NBC affiliate made a series of videos that document the opioid epidemic in the Triangle. One episode goes over the story of the victim in these photos and includes footage of his last moments at the hospital. The episode is available for viewing at their website.

The Heroin Triangle is also where Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina passed away. The videos by the local affiliate led to the release of her sealed autopsy report, which showed that she had a combination of drugs at her death including morphine. Morphine often times shows up in autopsy reports instead of heroin because the body converts heroin into morphine before it binds to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cords.

If you are interested in the opioid epidemic, the series of videos by the local affiliate are a good watch. You can view them at herointriangle.com

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A 20 year old man from Seattle, Washington died on July 16, 2009 as a result of a overdose. He had shot up heroin for the first time in 10 months.

His addiction started when his religious parents rejected his homosexuality, which led him to abuse drugs. After his passing, his parents started speaking around the country to tell their son’s story. Their heartfelt speeches are still available for viewing at youtube.

Passages from his parents:

We love you. Nothing will change that. But if you are going to follow Jesus, holiness is your only option. You are going to have to choose to follow Jesus, no matter what. And since you know what the Bible says, and since you want to follow God, embracing your sexuality is NOT an option.

We had – unintentionally – taught him to hate his sexuality. And since sexuality cannot be separated from the self, we had taught him to hate himself. So as he began to use drugs, he did so with a recklessness and a lack of caution for his own safety that was alarming to everyone who knew him.

He started with weed and beer…but in six short months was using cocaine, crack and heroin. He was hooked from the beginning, and his self-loathing and rage at God only fueled his addiction. Shortly after, we lost contact with him. For the next year and a half we didn’t know where he was, or even if he was dead or alive.

By the time our son called us, after 18 long months of silence, God had completely changed our perspective. And a new journey was begun. One of healing, restoration, open communication and grace.

And then he made the classic mistake of a recovering addict…he got back together with his old friends…his using friends. And one evening that was supposed to simply be a night at the movies turned out to be the first time he had shot up in ten months…and the last time.

Though he had suffered such severe brain damage that he had almost complete paralysis, the doctors told us that he could very well outlive us. But, unexpectedly, he died on July 16, 2009. And we lost the ability to love our gay son…because we no longer had a gay son.

What we had wished for…prayed for…hoped for…that we would NOT have a gay son, came true. But not at all in the way we used to envision.

The last picture is a letter the victim wrote to his dad for Father’s Day 9 days before his heroin overdose.

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A 33 year old woman from Mundelein, Illinois passed away on April 29, 2016 as a result of a heroin overdose.

Second family member lost in the past TWO YEARS to heroin today. I love you so much, rest in peace. I know you're watching down on us from heaven. You'll forever be in our hearts. If you're struggling and need help, PLEASE reach out. Don't put your family through this. This drug hurts many more than just yourself.

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A 25 year old man from Pennsville, New Jersey died on May 4, 2012 as a result of a heroin overdose.

It's been two years since heroin took my son from me...this is what he looked like lying in a hospital bed for a month when I had to make the awful decision to remove life support. I have posted this picture on this page before begging and pleading with those that need help to reach out for it and those thinking of "trying" heroin..DON'T!! It WILL kill you, please don't do this to your family! I love and miss my son so much
JPD 3/17/1987 - 5/4/2012 RIP my Sweet Angel Boy<3

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A 19 year old man from Louisville, Kentucky died on March 15, 2016 as a result of a heroin overdose.

My 19 year old nephew. This horrible drug took his life on Tuesday. From the age of 7-18 he lived with me, he was like my own. This has been the worst week of my life. Addiction is real, this kid was goofy loving pilot and full of life until this devil took his soul and made him miserable for the last year of his life. He was dead before he passed. He will be greatly missed but at least he can rest. #ihateheroin

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A 23 year old man from Oak Ridge, New Jersey passed away unexpectedly on December 21, 2014 at Chiton Medical Center surrounded by his family.

This was my boy when he was admitted to the hospital. He would never make it out. RIP 10/4/90 - 12/21/14. I love you so much and miss you so much. How am I going to make it through this life without you? Your father is shot to hell over this...he depended on you for so many things...football buddy, fishing buddy. We will NEVER EVER be the same. Baby, you were so beautiful and talented. My heart is broken to bits. He wasn't even an addict! He was working hard to build up a bank account to buy another car, and was making great progress. He worked two jobs this past summer and always met his obligations. He was trusting, too naive and desperately wanted acceptance from his peers. He got involved with the wrong person which led to a tragic decision on his part. I want everyone to know you DON'T have to be addicted or shooting up to die. Don't take horrible chances with the life God graced you with. I love you <3 <3 <3

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A 36 year old man from Baltimore, Maryland passed away on June 2, 2015

One of my dearest friends lies lifeless while his Mother kisses his forehead. Not knowing how much each and everyone loved him. His addiction was too powerful. He just had a daughter that was under a year old and was recently married. Even those positive things in life could not beat the addiction.

He is going to be forever missed and my heart will ache everyday knowing that I am unable to speak to him and tell him that I love him.

02/19/1979-06/02/2015