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More teens turn to heroin following pill abuse

By Staff Writer

Many parents find it difficult to picture their children using drugs, especially heroin. However, experts say that opiate addiction is becoming common among the younger generation as heroin drops in price and more regulations are placed on prescription drugs, according to ABC-12 News.

Law enforcement officials in Lapeer County, Michigan, say that the number of adults age 18 and older who are using heroin in the region has sharply increased. Part of this is because kids begin using gateway drugs, such as prescription medications, that eventually lead them to use harder opiates.

Recovering addict Ryan Jessel told the news source that once a person begins shooting heroin, it becomes nearly impossible to quit. It took the loss of a friend from an overdose to push Jessel to get clean, but he told the news source that it is an everyday struggle. Heroin can be found around almost any street corner in the region, making it easy for kids to obtain the drug and become hooked.

Approximately 29 percent of high school seniors say that it is relatively simple to find heroin in their local area, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Anti-drug education can help troubled teens stay away from substance abuse.

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