Treating Teen Abuse Of Heroin

Treating Teen Abuse Of Heroin

by Brian Book

On the scene today, there is a new face for the heroin user that barely resembles the former. For many years, the stereotype heroin user was pale, gaunt, and a "dirty" street person. Heroin is a problem for children, teens, and blue and white collar workers. Not only does it affect all types of people, but also every race and culture. Public attention has been drawn to the new generation of heroin users, with the recent death of Cory Monteith, the clean cut star from Glee. The main concern regarding Monteith's celebrity status, is that it could mislead parents into thinking that heroin use is a Hollywood problem.

The new profile for the heroin user in the United States is one of a white male in his 30's. The National Institute of Drug Abuse, states that the heroin problem more than likely started in their early years as a teenager. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), reported that the overdose rate of the heroin users in 2009 increased by an alarming rate of 80 percent from 2002. With the death rate of overdoses being 198 a decade earlier, in 2009 it was 510 teens and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24.

What accounts for the sudden rise in users and the change in demographic? For starters, you have to look at production, at one time the bulk of heroin came from Southwest Asia or the Far East. In the modern age heroin is being produced much closer to home in Mexico and South America. Experts believe there are several factors involved in the changing face of heroin, not the least of which is availability and price. Bottom line, heroin is easier to get and cheaper!

Afghanistan has gotten on the heroin bandwagon too, with production jumping from 150 metric tons to 664 metric tons between 2002 and 2006, according to the United States Department of Justice. Government officials have also made tremendous effort to regulate prescription pain medications like Oxycodone, so much so that they are difficult to get and expensive as well. These changes have led to many people turning to heroin instead.

At Pinnacle Schools, administrators report that they have not seen a huge heroin trend at the adolescent treatment facility. Elk River Treatment program sees kids from all over the United States, ages 12-18 years old, they suffer from a variety of issues including but not limited to, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, mental illness and behavioral problems. However, Martez Rogers, Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor, reports no significant incidents of heroin addiction. Some of their clients report using it but it is not a constant issue and usually is something residents from more urban areas are dealing with.

The residents have reported the use of Promethazine. This is a medication that is prescribed for pain after surgery, motion sickness, and nausea and vomiting. Some people actually use Promethazine as a sleep aid or sedative. Phenothiazine is the drug group for Promethazine. Codeine or 3-Methylmorphine, is an opiate-based prescription medication. Rogers says that some residents use both with marijuana by dipping the blunt, joint, or cigarette in the liquid form of Codeine or Promethazine. When they use this alone, it is called Purple Drank or Dirty Sprite. This is when they combine the Codeine or Promethazine with skittles, sprite, and of course the Leine. It can be referred to as Sipping, Syzurp, or Sipping on Leine.

The Alabama School of Alcohol and Drug Studies (ASADS), presents a week-long conference every spring. Although the clinicians are not seeing a large spike in the heroin use at this time, they are still on the look-out for it. At the conference, they learn to address current trends and developments in the world of addiction counseling and support services for the children they serve.

Rogers stated that at the conference this spring, the relationship of the increase in heroin use to the push to have medications such as Hydrocodone, Percocet's, and others changed to a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance was discussed. There is such a high potential for the abuse of these drugs. As new laws are passes, these medications will be harder to get and the penalties will be stiffer. Unfortunately, the user will naturally progress to the illicit opiate that is usually cheaper. Rogers reported that this can be even more dangerous because of the harmful chemicals added to the heroin to increase its potency.



For more information see <a href="http://www.teentroubled.com/31-elk-river-treatment-program-talks-drugalcohol-abuse-in-teen">Teen Troubled</a>. Thank you to them for their valuable information on the subject. The author is not associated with any referenced program or site.