The Deadly Teenage Heroin Epidemic

BAY AREA, CA – Dr. Michael Rubino, a Bay Area psychotherapist who has worked with teens for more than 18 years, addresses the use of heroin by our teenagers.

ABC 20/20 did a very good show recently about the epidemic of heroin use in the United States. If you did not see it, you can see it here. Parents -- this is a show you need to see because many teenagers I work with are not afraid or concerned about how dangerous heroin can be.

According to ABC 20/20, 129 people die every day from a heroin overdose. A majority of these deaths are teens and people in their 20s. Heroin is used by people in lower-income levels and by people who are the wealthiest in the country. It is used by whites, blacks, Hispanics -- basically every ethnic group, and by males and females.

For the families in the Bay Area who say, "We don't have that problem here," yes you do.

Also for parents and educators who think that if their child is in a private school, they are less likely to use, you are wrong, too. Heroin crosses all ethnic and economic boundaries. The epidemic is so severe some schools are teaching children in the 6th grade how to use Narcan -- the drug that can reverse an overdose of heroin if administered in time.

Therefore, parents in the Bay Area, you need to pay attention to this issue and these facts. You might be saving the life of your child or someone else you love.

As stated Heroin use to to be a drug of the past, but it is now very popular with teens. Heroin is a cheaper alternative to many other drugs. For $10, a teenager can buy a capsule of heroin. This is much cheaper than other drugs.

Heroin is still mainly snorted or injected. Because it is injected, teens are exposing themselves to HIV and Hepatitis C. Both are life-threatening conditions with no cure. Also many girls who use heroin get pregnant, but don't realize they are pregnant until the fourth or fifth month. The girls stop, but it is too late.

The babies will be born drug-addicted. and if they live through withdrawals, these children will have ongoing health issues and learning disabilities. In addition to exposing themselves to diseases, most teens use Heroin with other drugs, such as alcohol.

This makes the probability of overdosing on Heroin even higher. Heroin lowers a person's breathing rate and the drugs they are combining it with lower the breathing rate even more, making an accidental overdose more likely. The rate of overdosing from Heroin has quadrupled over the years.

Why is Heroin coming back and very popular with teens? Heroin is very similar to the Opioid-based pain killers that teens have been using for years. However, with the cost of pain killers rising on the streets and becoming harder to get due to new prescription laws, heroin is easier to get and cheaper. Also, teens tend to like the high better.

It is not uncommon for someone to get addicted after using heroin one time.

In the last few years, heroin use has doubled in teenagers. What teens are at the highest risk? Those who have been using Opioid pain killers, those abusing marijuana and males.

Remember it is very common for teens to combine heroin with other drugs and they are unaware of the impact it has on their breathing. They may collapse and not know why and by the time their friends get them to an emergency room, it's too late. Also, teens may go to sleep after using and their breathing rate is so shallow they never wake up.

This is a very dangerous drug. If it doesn't kill when the teen uses it, the drug can kill when the teen contracts HIV or Hepatitis C. The rate of teens using this drug has doubled and the amount of people dying from an overdose has quadrupled over the last few years.

Again, parents you cannot ignore this issue. Heroin is being used by upper-class children and poor children, athletes, and all races. So it is impacting all teens.

The other major issue with this drug is stopping. Someone cannot just go off heroin.

People can die from withdrawal. However, finding a treatment center that is affordable or with an open space is very difficult. They may have to wait four months to get into a rehab center. This is very dangerous.

When someone decides to stop heroin, they need to enter rehab immediately. If they have to wait even two days, they may not make it because they cannot stand the withdrawal symptoms.

If we get involved we can hopefully stop teens from using this highly addictive killer.

I have attached a link to a handout by the CDC with facts, warning signs and suggestions to help your son if you think he is using heroin. http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/...
http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/...

For more information about Dr. Michael Rubino and his private practice in Pleasant Hill, visit his website at www.rcs-ca.com

Also from Dr. Rubino, see:

• Does My Child need an ADHD Assessment?
• Understanding How Your Teenager Thinks