The White House announced a new initiative on Monday that will refocus the government's approach to healing heroin addicts instead of putting them in jail. This move is aimed at reducing the number of heroine-related deaths, which has risen by almost 400 percent between 2002 to 2013.

Reuters reported that police and other law enforcement bodies will coordinate with the health agencies under the new program. Sources claim that the White House will provide the initial funding amounting to more than $2 million, which will be distributed to around 15 states.

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Authorities will prioritize its search for the heroin pushers and their suppliers of a certain kind opium product that reportedly contributed to the rising number of addicts' death due to overdose.

Many of the heroin-related deaths have been reported in the Northeastern part of the country such as New England.

The state that hosted the first primary presidential selection - New Hampshire - has felt the brutal effect of heroin addiction. Local officials estimate that at least one heroin addict dies daily due to overdose, according to Yahoo Politics.

Government-funded treatment centers reported that the number of heroin addicts turning themselves in has almost doubled within the ten year period. For those who abused prescription opiate medication, that number increased fivefold within the same time period.

The state's governor, Maggie Hassan, told reporters that the heroin addiction gripping New Hampshire will be the only issue that any visiting presidential nominee could not avoid.

The mayor of New Hampshire town of Manchester Ted Gatsas said that around 50 of his constituents died due to heroin abuse. The town has a population of 110,000. Gatsas said that he discussed the growing problem of heroin abuse with every presidential candidate that came to visit him and his town.

Opiate based painkilling medications have become cheaper which encourage many addicts to use it, according to the American health authorities.

The initiative would provide intelligence data to the local police and a medical personnel would also be provided with training and equipment to counter overdose cases.

An unnamed official said that the initiative is a two-pronged approach of minimizing crime and the number of heroin-related deaths.

Tagsheroine abuse, heroine overdose, white house program, opiate drug addiction, opiate medicine abuse, opium pushers, drug pushers, drug suppliers, Manchester new hampshire, ted gatsas