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Parents in Lake Zurich, Ill., are concerned about teen heroin use, especially because three Lake Zurich High School alumni have died of heroin overdose within the past 14 months. One mom, Michelle Hines, is taking action. She has initiated a local drug forum where parents can learn about drug use in their community.

Hines commented: "When I found out about all the kids dying, I thought, 'Enough already.' Someone's got to do something. We've got to fight back. Heroin is in our town and kids are dying. If parents don't know it's here, then they can't educate their kids. We're doing the best we can to let them know."

In December 2008, 19-year-old Kelly Gawron, a Lake Zurich High School alumnus, was discovered dead in her bed after overdosing on heroin. Then, in June 2009, a 22-year-old former student died in the hospital three days after he overdosed on heroin. Only one month later, a 21-year-old former student died in a halfway house of an overdose.

Needle marks, also called "track marks," used to be a tell-tale sign of heroin use. However, with a dramatic increase in the purity of heroin available over the last few years, users no longer need to inject heroin. The drug can be smoked or snorted. One objective of the forum is to inform parents about changes like these. Another objective is to fight the "not my kid" attitude that many parents may have.

Hines commented: "There have been so many parents who believe this would not happen to their kids. Their kids are in sports. Their kids are in every activity, and there's no sign of foul play. The signs aren't the same anymore."

(Source: dailyherald.com)

Labels: drug overdose, heroin

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El Paso County, Texas, is seeing a rise in young addicts and violence among youth. Experts believe that the twin trends are no coincidence.

Chilo Madrid, director of an El Paso drug treatment center, comments on the trends: "We are seeing younger and more violent addicts. It's not unusual to see an 18-year-old who has been addicted for three or four years, who's had two or three sexually transmitted diseases, who's belonged to two gangs and who's been shot at more than once."

Madrid estimates that approximately 20 percent of El Paso County's population is addicts, or approximately 150,000 of the 742,000 residents. A Mexican drug cartel just across the United States border, in Juarez, Mexico, makes drugs cheap and easy to obtain in El Paso.

According to Madrid, heroin addiction is especially prevalent in the area: "We do a lot of street research, and we know for a fact that we have 30,000 hard-core heroin users in El Paso, and a lot more people who use cocaine on the weekends.

When we started out in this field, a hit of heroin (a quarter gram) cost $25," Madrid said. "Now, people can get the same quantity for $2.50 a hit. The same is true for cocaine. A hit of cocaine is about two lines.

"They don't go to Juarez or to shooting galleries anymore. People get the drugs by texting on their cell phones. Whereas before, your heroin users were older, we're now seeing kids as young as 16 who are trying heroin and cocaine for the first time."

(Source: behaviorhealthcentral.com)

Labels: cocaine, heroin, violence, addiction

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A new study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that a number of pre-teen children have sought treatment for substance abuse problems, including abuse of amphetamines, marijuana, alcohol and heroin.

The Institute of Health reports that the number of Australians getting help from treatment providers is on the rise. Last year, treatment sessions increased from 7,000 to 154,0000. The Institute also reports that alcohol is, by far, the most common substance abuse problem.

Amber Jefferson, from the Institute, recounted drug use data, including: "Alcohol comprising 44 per cent of episodes in 2007/08, compares to 38 per cent back in 2002/03 ... and alcohol treatment is followed by treatment for cannabis at 22 percent, amphetamines 11 percent and heroin at 11 percent."

(Source: www.abc.net.au)

Labels: alcohol, marijuana, teen substance abuse, heroin, treatment

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A Wisconsin woman has been charged with intentionally contributing to the delinquency of a child causing death and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Patricia Strosina, 46, of Waterford, was observed buying drugs for herself and her 16-year-old son, Raymond, on at least one occasion.

On a September morning, Raymond's father found him slumped over in the computer room, a syringe nearby. Raymond's father contacted law enforcement authorities, saying he believed his son had overdosed.

An autopsy showed that Raymond overdosed on heroin and cocaine and stopped breathing. When the Racine County Sheriff's Department began investigating the death, people began pointing to Raymond's mother.

Witnesses reported that Raymond started smoking marijuana around age 14, but by age 15 his mother was giving him heroin to snort. Other witnesses reported that they saw Strosina inject heroin into her son's arm and that mother and son smoked marijuana and crack together several times a week. When Strosina was brought in for questioning, she admitted giving him heroin. Her preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 29, 2009.

(Source: www.journaltimes.com)

Labels: drug overdose, cocaine, heroin

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Authorities in Fox Valley (Aurora), Illinois, have seen a disturbing increase in heroin use in the area in the past year. Between January and April 2008, Aurora police took 7.12 grams of heroin off the streets. During the same time period this year, they have confiscated 37.21 grams - over five times as much. Heroin-related arrests have more than doubled, from 4 to 11, in the past year. Yorkville Lt. Rich Hart commented: "I can tell you from the police reports I see and the calls that come in, we are seeing more heroin overdoses." Kane County coroner Chuck West also weighed in on the issue: "We're seeing more heroin and more combinations of drugs."

Authorities are especially concerned not only because of the highly addictive nature of heroin but also because of the destructiveness of the drug, both for the user and the community. Lt. Hart explains, "It just wrecks lives. ... It's devastating and the effects are quick." Aurora Lt. Paul Nelson states, "Once you try it, you're an addict. ... It gets to the point where heroin is the most important thing in their life and they will do anything - turn to prostitution, rob, steal - to support their habit."

(Source: www.suburbanchicagonews.com)

Labels: heroin, illinois

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Residents of Long Island, New York are seeing a spike in teen heroin use. Recent deaths of local teenagers have shaken parents, who didnt realize that heroin was even an option for local youth. Linda Diorio, whose son, Erik, died of an overdose in 2008, commented on how the drug is taking parents by surprise: "You worry about them smoking pot. You worry about them driving recklessly. You worry about them not using their seat belt. You worry about that phone call in the middle of the night. ... You don't worry about heroin. Because it didn't exist in my mindset."

Eriks death came only weeks after the death of another teen, Natalie Ciappa. Ciappa was a college-bound honors student who sang in her church choir. She overdosed on heroin in June 2008. Her death caused an outpouring of concern and bewilderment from the community.

In an effort to combat soaring drug use, parents have been gathering at community events designed to educate families about the dangers of heroin. In addition, both Suffolk and Nassau counties have passed laws requiring law enforcement to inform schools about nearby heroin-related arrests.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice commented on the trend: "You could almost use the word 'epidemic.' ... What we've seen over the past three years, almost immediately after my administration came in, is a big increase in fatal heroin overdoses."

(Source: www.newday.com)

Labels: teen drug use, heroin, long island

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