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Start Talking
Know! Heroin is
a threat in your community
8/10/2016
Have you talked to your children about the dangers of this drug? If
not, you may be thinking:
Heroin is not going to cross my child’s path where we live.
My child is terrified of needles; there is no way she’d try heroin.
Heroin may attract some kids, but not mine.
If you share similar thoughts, you’re not alone. But keep in mind,
heroin has changed over the years, along with those who are using it.
So let’s get informed and up to date on this drug so that factual and
accurate prevention messages can be shared with our children. We’ll
begin by debunking a few common myths.
Myth Buster #1: At one time, heroin was predominantly found only in
urban areas. That is no longer the case. It has made its way into
suburban and rural communities throughout the nation.
Myth Buster #2: While injection or “shooting up” remains the most
common method of using heroin, it is not the only method (as it once
was). Heroin can also be smoked or snorted without needles.
Myth Buster #3: Many of us hold certain stereotypes in our head of what
a typical heroin user looks like. Erase that image and know that the
student in your child’s advanced biology class is now just as typical
of a user.
Heroin is a highly addictive, lethal, illegal drug, derived from the
painkiller morphine. Like many other street drugs, heroin is typically
“cut” with other substances, which is one of the many reasons heroin is
so dangerous. Users can never know for certain what other substances
are in the mix or the potency of the drug, thereby increasing the risk
of accidental overdose, which can lead to permanent brain damage, coma
or death.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), repeated
heroin use causes changes in the brain that are not easily reversed,
including long-term behavioral imbalances. Chronic users are also known
to suffer a variety of other health consequences including insomnia and
constipation, depression and antisocial personality disorders, scarred
and collapsed veins, skin abscesses and other soft tissue infections,
clogged blood vessels and complications with the heart, lungs, liver,
kidneys and brain.
The path to a heroin addiction is quick and once there, users say that
finding and using the drug at any cost becomes their primary purpose in
life.
Statistics show that four out of five new heroin users first abused
prescription painkillers before moving to the cheaper, more accessible
version – heroin. This is the biggest reason for the recent surge in
use. However, there is the one in five who begin using heroin without
ever having abused prescription drugs – so it is important for every
parent to be aware.
1StartTalking.jpgTalking regularly with kids about the dangers of
alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using.
While the 18 to 25-year-old age group is the fastest growing population
of heroin users, younger individuals are not immune. If your son or
daughter is in middle or high school, now is the ideal time to talk
with them about this highly dangerous and deadly drug, as part of your
regular and ongoing prevention talks.
Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Drug Facts – Heroin.
Foundation for a Drug- Free World: The Truth about Heroin. For more
information visit http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin.
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