Heroin use is 'soaring amongst suburban teenagers' as deaths more than double

Parents Forum
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<p>4 years ago, my offspring’s cousin died of a heroin overdose in suburban CT. He was a great kid. He flunked out of college due to his use. At that point, he moved out west and kicked the habit for six months. He went back to CT for the wedding of a high school classmate. Stayed with friends the night before. Used. Friends found him dead in the am. Apparently, the problem was that he used the same “dose” he had before going clean. After six months of no use, it killed him. </p>

<p>One warning: warn your kids about drugs if they are going to go to college in a major city. My offspring grew up in NYC and saw enough addicts and ruined families that drugs just aren’t tempting. </p>

<p>From what I’ve seen, it’s the kids who have never seen the problems drugs cause who are most likely to ‘experiment’ freshman year in college.</p>

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<p>Yes. Here in Silicon Valley, I know a young woman from a well-to-do family who is now addicted and in rehab recently for the second time. Horrible. I think it starts as a standard teen rebellious adventure and quickly takes a turn for the disastrous.</p>

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<p>I live in a small town with in easy driving distance of Minneapolis. This is an affluent, well educated town–I believe our median ACT scores are amongst the best in the state. We became aware of a heroin problem in 2007, when it came to light that a group of high school aged and twenty-somethings were doing heroin. Since then, there have been nine deaths from heroin (a couple were from oxy). Numerous others have lived the nightmare of being involved in crime, going to prison, going to treatment etc.</p>

<p>I think that being in a smallish town, we’ve been able to come up with a reasonable handle on how this happened. Two brothers in high school were receiving shipments of oxycontin from a third brother who lived out of state. Apparently, he got them by “doctor shopping”. When the supply dried up, someone figured out how to buy heroin from dealers in Minneapolis. Soon small time dealers were bringing back enough to keep themselves and a number of others supplied.</p>

<p>Most of those involved were from reasonably affluent homes, with two attentive parents etc. After one overdose death, the two young men who went on the heroin run were charged with the death of the young women who OD’ed on the drug they brought her. They were sentenced to 180 days in jail ( I think) and years of probation. One’s parent is a prominent businessman. The other one’s parent is an administrator at a local college. </p>

<p>Two brothers mixed up in this business are the sons of a former law enforcement official. One died from an overdose. The other is serving time in the county jail for shooting at a guy in a car who owed him a $40 debt.</p>

<p>One of those who died is the son of a friend mine. Again, he came from a good family. He was loved.</p>

<p>I only include the details about the town and families to give the idea that “this could happen to anyone, anywhere”.</p>

<p>Just recently the Twin Cities media has been full of news about the heroin epidemic. Two other towns, similar to ours–ie easy driving to Minneapolis have been highlighted.</p>

<p>One town had a high schooler die of an OD. The other town’s newspaper printed a story about a high school senior–a star athlete with a D1 scholarship waiting for her next falls’ descent into heroin addiction. She was stealing from her family and pawning the stuff. She was arrested after she stole her parent’s Escalade. </p>

<p>I did a search of these towns’ newspapers and found that both towns had heroin busts amongst high schoolers some months ago. One was after drug dogs found heroin in the high school parking lot. Interestingly, the stories about the first busts contained quotes from school and police officials saying things like “We don’t have a heroin problem. This was an isolated incident involving an individual”. Now, just months later, the kids in one of the high schools call their town “H Town”. I’m guessing that the lesson learned here is this–if there is any heroin found–there is a problem. You are looking at the tip of the iceberg.</p>

<p>Good luck to all struggling with this. Our town has put out major efforts to combat this, but it is a difficult thing to deal with–and it is difficult to tell if one is making progress. I’m thinking that heroin is now on the menu, and we’re stuck with it.</p>

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<p>I don’t think marijuana or alcohol is a “gateway” drug. But still, I would be surprised if there hadn’t been quite a history of drug use before these kids tried heroin.</p>

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<p>Latest data from the National Survey on Drug Use in Households (NSDUH) suggests that the gateway is prescription opiates. In fact, there are now more new initiates of illicit prescription opiate use than of marijuana. Virtually all of the new folksa ddicted to heroin that we see at the needle exchanges say they were addicted to prescription-type opiates prior to heroin use.</p>

<p>The other gateway seems to be illicit use of the psychostimulants. It seems that kids believe that meds that originate in doctors’ offices are safe.</p>

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<p>MNFlyer my exposure is a young lady who was in my D’s girl scout troop she died from an overdose and the sister of my D’s classmate. He is at an Ivy and she has been arrested numerous times.</p>

<p>I was also at a police station early one morning when they brought in a young lady for prostitution. Her parents came to get her. It was heartbreaking.</p>

<p>mini- my wife has a prescription for Percocet. If I remember correctly it came with some extra paperwork.</p>

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<p>That’s interesting mini. When I was living with my friend who used heroin, on the same piece of property, ( it was on Cottage Lake), was another couple, who seemed to use a lot of pills ( wife was a nurse at a Seattle hospital).
I wonder if Swedish uses Tylenol for pain meds for the patients safety or so they can keep tighter control on their own staff?</p>

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<p>Patient safety.</p>

<p>I know the head of ED at Swedish (we serve on the same panel on trying to help EDs get a handle on prescription opiate diversion.) The non-Schedule II protocol was actually developed and is widely used in California. The hydrocodone compounds (like Vicodin) are Schedule III. We have set up an ED information sharing system - so that every ED that joins can see if there has been general drug-seeking behavior.</p>

<p>We also have ED prescription guidelines (of which I am the co-author):
<a href=“http://washingtonacep.org/Postings/edopioidabuseguidelinesfinal.pdf[/url]”>http://washingtonacep.org/Postings/edopioidabuseguidelinesfinal.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You will see a poster based on these now hanging in virtually every ED waiting room in the state:
<a href=“http://here.doh.wa.gov/materials/prescribing-pain-medication/33_EDopiodPst_E11L.pdf[/url]”>http://here.doh.wa.gov/materials/prescribing-pain-medication/33_EDopiodPst_E11L.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The Legislature also had us write guidelines for the use of opiates in the treatment of non-cancer pain, which have been adopted by all the medical boards.
<a href=“http://www.agencymeddirectors.wa.gov/Files/OpioidGdline.pdf[/url]”>http://www.agencymeddirectors.wa.gov/Files/OpioidGdline.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Question: Is there any difference in the potential for abuse/addiction between hydrocodone or oxycodone? I ask because someone recently told me that a feeling of euphoria is associated with oxycodone, and so is more likely to be abused.</p>

<p>I’m concerned because my 76-y/o mother recently herniated a disk. She’s been on hydrocodone for about 10 days and takes only what was prescribed to her, but she finds she’s in profound pain about 5 hours after taking each dose, and she really struggles for the 3 hours before she’s allowed another one. So far physical therapy has not made a difference. She’s an active, healthy woman who walks several miles a day, and has no underlying diseases.</p>

<p>This is such a tricky subject. I strongly believe that people with serious pain should receive the medication they need to achieve comfort. Yet obviously there is great potential for abuse.</p>

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<p>Hydrocodone is only available in a combination with other drugs, and hence is schedule III. Generally speaking (very generally speaking), it is used for less onerous pain. OxyContin is an excellent drug because of its time release qualities, provided dosage is determined correctly.</p>

<p>People should not fear taking these drugs as directed for acute pain. Many folks come home from a week in the hospital for a painful condition and suffer “the blue flu”, which is essentially opiate withdrawal. Dependence and addiction are different things: all addicted folks are dependent; but not all dependent folks are addicted. We run into problems when docs prescribe increasingly high does of opiates for chronic pain (often without checking whether they really work! That’s why we put the guidelines in place).</p>

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<p>Anecdotally, people’s reactions to these drugs really seem to differ. At different times in recent years, I (muscle spasm), DH (back pain) and DD (wisdom teeth extraction) have all been prescribed hydrocodone. I thought it was a wonder drug. It took away the intolerable pain and had no other effect on me that I could detect. After a few days I tapered off as prescribed and was fine. Both DH and DD absolutely couldn’t bear the stuff. It diminished their pain but made them feel so “high” they preferred not to take it, but to make do with OTC NSAIDs, which weren’t as effective on the pain but were preferred for not making them feel weird.</p>

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<p>I apologize for being snarky. :o Although I do imagine that some in the medical profession don’t do well with easy access to addictive drugs.</p>

<p>I think how different people metabolize medication varies. I always take the smallest dose I can get away with, as my brain doesn’t need anything else to cloud it, but I am now mindful that it is better to take something before I am in so much pain that I can’t think about anything else. Unfortunately, since I have fibromyalgia amongst other things, that could be every week.</p>

<p>I wish our country would legalize marijuana so that we could join the rest of the world in doing research on its properties, especially for pain relief that is safer than the opioids. Because frankly while I have never tried it, I have considered using heroin if it would make everything stop hurting for an hour. </p>

<p>Not why the college students are using it I know.
At the risk of being snarky again, that is a product of our instant society. We want to be " high" instantly. Not much fun if you have to wait a whole hour or two for its effects. :rolleyes:
Also harder to get addicted to something that doesn’t start working immediately.</p>

<p>This is probably worth linking to.
[Special</a> reports | Fatal overdoses: Methadone is No. 1 | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/specialreports/methadone/fataloverdosesmethadoneisno1.html]Special”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/specialreports/methadone/fataloverdosesmethadoneisno1.html)</p>

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<p>weather- that’s true. I’ve been prescribed both vicodine and oxy. Neither do anything for me. Vicodine makes me really nauseous and oxy just doesn’t work any better than motrin. As for Ibuprofen, if I don’t take the 600 or 800 dose, I don’t get any relief. I’ve also been given Valium which seems to work the best for relief even though it’s not a pain reliever. I’ve been prescribed high doses of other controlled meds and never once felt a high. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Amen to that. Both of my parents are medical marijuana patients. Marijuana works so much better than any painkiller cocktail that they’ve ever taken. Both of my parents are working on efforts to get it legalized here in Michigan.</p>

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<p>I know of at least 10 young adults who are struggling with heroin addiction. (all from educated middle class or wealthy families with involved parents) If I know that many the number using must be fairly high since it isn’t something people share openly. Most busts you read about in the paper seem to be for Meth but I don’t know of anyone whose child is struggling with Meth addiction. I have hear of some young women using cocaine to help them stay thin but don’t know if that is a fact or rumor.
My kids have not shared with me about anyone they know using heroin. They have shared that young adults in our community don’t consider weed to be a big deal. Many of their peers and friends use it regularly and even those who don’t have tried it. Don’t know if that will change as the dispensaries have been getting shut down.</p>

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<p>I agree that some of the dispensaries that abuse their status have been shut down.
I don’t have a problem with that at all.
I want to get my meds from a reputable source, who isn’t going to risk my access by allowing people who don’t qualify to join the cooperative.
It isn’t for reselling out of state, and it isn’t to be used by minors or by those who don’t have a qualifying diagnosis.</p>

<p>Mom60, that seems like a high number, are you in the health profession or otherwise come into contact with people who are looking for help, or are those people among your friends and acquaintances?</p>

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<p>“Heroin was nasty stuff in the 70s and it’s undoubtedly nasty stuff today. I’ll be happy when today’s kids stop romanticizing the 70s. . .” MOM3B</p>

<p>One of gthe Kennedy kids got in trouble for Heroin in the 70’s - was was from the rich 'burbs.</p>

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<p>One of my friends just told me her nephew is in jail for buying the heroin that killed one of the high school kids MNflyer may have mentioned. She told me that, “it was like a group of kids going out together and one bought the beer.”</p>

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<p>My boyfriend who used heroin was from an expensive neighborhood in Seattle, but heroin was a huge deal in the 70s, and I can’t imagine it as being considered as casually asbuyingbeer now.</p>

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<p>". Don’t trust your doctor to understand this or to prescribe responsibly. They don’t. They don’t to the point they are now being monitored by the DEA.*"</p>

<p>Ouch . I like to think I, and the docs I know are responsible to the point of paranoia. I was under the impression the DEA has been monitoring us since day one.</p>

<p>Some prescription opiates, but notI have not heard of much heroin abuse by kids in the northeast bay of N Cal. NOT affluent. I work for county mental health, and in private practice, and drug test kids ( but not useing substance abuse protocols) regularly.</p>

<p>BTW, i can still pull up traumatic images of folks going through withdrawal in NYC subway when I was a kid.</p>

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<p>Upthread, someone mentioned something about doing it the way we Singaporeans do. (Thanks for recognizing that even though we get bashed left-right-center for this kind of policy, it does work.)</p>

<p>However, I’d like to mention something that rarely comes up in most discussions of Singapore’s fight against drug abuse. I think most people know about the capital punishment for dealing (I’m personally against capital punishment, but that’s another story). What’s less often mentioned is that the anti-drug abuse message is drilled into kids from a very young age. I think I was 7, certainly no older than 8 or 9, when I was educated about the different kinds of drugs, their effects on the mind and body, and the minimum prison sentence for being found in possession of each of them. We were also educated about strategies for getting out of a compromising situation if someone offered us drugs, and made aware that it was most definitely not okay to “just try” it, that peer pressure might be strong but it was not an excuse, that you could be hooked from the beginning. These were always accompanied by true stories of so-and-so who experimented, got hooked, and ended up in rehab and clean or dead; looking back, I realize these stories also talked a lot about how drug abuse affected the families of the addict, that even if they became clean their families were often left broken, or even if the family stayed together, they always talked about how much it cost the children not to have one parent around during their formative years. I also remember lots of stories about addicts going cold turkey in rehab and the horrible physical side effects. This continued all the way through 10th grade, when I was 16. This was also well after Singapore’s drug problem had been pretty much cleared up, though still recent (maybe 10-15 years after the worst of it). </p>

<p>Of course at age 7, you don’t understand half the things you’re told, but I know I came away with a very strong sense I shouldn’t touch the stuff. Not that I could have gotten it anyway - that’s where the harsh anti-drug laws came in - but I never had the desire to try them. I probably have a propensity for addiction, so I’m very glad about the aggressive anti-drug abuse education. Of course in school when the time came for anti-drug pamphlets and slogans and presentations by police officers we rolled our eyes (“know drugs, no drugs!”) but it definitely made an impression on all of us. That’s not to say this island is completely clean - it’s known that there is some drug use in international schools and among certain demographic groups - but it is now an isolated problem rather than a systemic one.</p>