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.
In the United States there is a new profile for the typical heroin user, and it is white males in their 30's, though some studies suggest the problem is more likely to have started in their teen years. Reports from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) state heroin overdoses among users was up an alarming 80% in 2009. Ten years earlier there were approximately 198 deaths attributed to overdose, by 2009 that number was closer to 510 and they were young adults or teens between 15 and 24 years of age.
At one time, the heroin was obtained through Southwest Asia and the Far East. Today, the supply is increasing because it is produced much closer to the United States, in Mexico and South America. Experts have reported that there are several reasons for the changing face of the heroin user. One of the main reasons is that over the process of the years, heroin has become plentiful and definitely 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.
One topic of conversation at the conference this past spring is the correlation between the rise in heroin use and the drive to have many prescription drugs changed to Schedule 1 controlled substances. Rogers talked about how the high incidents of abuse for drugs like Percocet and hydrocodone has driven these changes to the law. Unfortunately, as the new laws go into effect these medications become harder to obtain and the penalties are higher. Which naturally pushes users to find the cheaper more readily accessible drug, in this case heroin. This can be more dangerous, Rogers reported, as many times harmful chemicals are added to the heroin to up its potency.
In the United States there is a new profile for the typical heroin user, and it is white males in their 30's, though some studies suggest the problem is more likely to have started in their teen years. Reports from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) state heroin overdoses among users was up an alarming 80% in 2009. Ten years earlier there were approximately 198 deaths attributed to overdose, by 2009 that number was closer to 510 and they were young adults or teens between 15 and 24 years of age.
At one time, the heroin was obtained through Southwest Asia and the Far East. Today, the supply is increasing because it is produced much closer to the United States, in Mexico and South America. Experts have reported that there are several reasons for the changing face of the heroin user. One of the main reasons is that over the process of the years, heroin has become plentiful and definitely 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.
One topic of conversation at the conference this past spring is the correlation between the rise in heroin use and the drive to have many prescription drugs changed to Schedule 1 controlled substances. Rogers talked about how the high incidents of abuse for drugs like Percocet and hydrocodone has driven these changes to the law. Unfortunately, as the new laws go into effect these medications become harder to obtain and the penalties are higher. Which naturally pushes users to find the cheaper more readily accessible drug, in this case heroin. This can be more dangerous, Rogers reported, as many times harmful chemicals are added to the heroin to up its potency.
About the Author:
Some thoughts and ideas on abuse provided in the articles teen-alcohol-abuse-and-drug-abuse and Pinnacle Schools Discuss Drug Abuse. The author is not associated with any referenced program or site.
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