EDUCATION OF HEROIN DANGERS SHOULD BE PRIORITY

DON'T START IS THE ANSWER, NOT REHAB

TIME TO PUT MAXIMUM EFFORT INTO DRUG EDUCATION

 

 

 

 

 We are all aware now of the increased use of heroin by young people in the Lehigh Valley as well as all across the nation. I see lots of talk about new rehab efforts and strategies. These efforts at rehab are not the answer. While there are some successes, the results are poor by anyone's standards. An independent survey from Australia by Darke, Ross, Mills, Williamson, Havard and Teesson found that after 36 months. 15% success rate for inpatient therapy, 10% for drug therapy, and 0% for no treatment. It seems that Drug Rehab centers are sprouting like daffodils in spring, and this is all well and good. I am not trying to disparage their possible help to some people. It is very difficult to get solid proven long term success rates from anyone. The answer is to not take opiate drugs from the beginning. I can see that we are creating a whole new industry with the Opiate rehabilitation business. If people are addicted it is most likely too late.

Most of the users of Heroin start with prescription pain killers and move on to Heroin later.  The Heroin of late is high quality and very dangerous. More than 3000 deaths in Pennsylvania in the last 5 years alone. Many of these deaths are young teenage kids. While the deaths are tragic the ruined lives and stress addiction places on families is just as tragic.

There needs to be an increased awareness starting in middle school, this needs to be a harsh, factual, and frightening all out effort to inform these kids about the dangers of Opiate use.  If we need to show videos and pictures of young people who have succumbed to this problem we should do it, shock will not hurt them, but opiate addiction will.