Until recently, heroin was widely considered a major contributor to death by overdose. However, extensive research has shown that heroin alone is less often the deadly main cause of overdose death. The majority of overdose fatalities occur when heroin is used along with alcohol and other opiates, such as cocaine and prescribed drugs. This is a lesson addicts must and will learn in Turning Point counseling: While heroin can certainly result in severe overdose problems and death, using heroin while also imbibing alcohol and/or other drugs is the fast track to certain death.