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Heroin addiction rises among teens

By Staff Writer

Nearly 14 percent of admissions for publicly funded substance abuse programs in 2006 went toward helping individuals who were addicted to heroin, according to My Addiction, a drug addiction education site. Rehabilitation facilities can help heroin users detoxify, but many young adults are still finding it difficult to admit the reality of their addiction.

Tom Dietzler, an addiction counselor at Caron's Young Adult Program, says that many parents underestimate the power of addiction. Like any other debilitating disease, addiction can tear families apart, according to ABC News. Heroin is one of the most difficult drugs for substance abusers to quit.

"[Heroin addicts] have no fear of death," Dietzler told the news source. "They will do anything they can to get their drug. They become vicious as they progress into their addiction."

After the euphoric high, heroin renders users physically unable to complete their daily activities until they get another dose. Experts say that the withdrawal symptoms are 10 times worse than the flu. Dietzler warns parents with children who are addicted to heroin that there is no quick fix.

Rehabilitation facilities can help young adults detoxify over time. Although new medications can help reduce an individual's dependency to the drug, counseling may be necessary for addicts to make a full recovery.

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