Narconon Freedom Center Reports Younger Heroin Users Enrolling
Albion, MI (PRWEB) August 29, 2013 -- Narconon Freedom Center Intake Counselors report program enrollees who are seeking help with heroin addiction are younger than previous years. Currently, the demographic of program starts is shifting more and more to teens 18 and 19 years old who are shooting heroin. Prior years showed enrollees in their early 20’s.
“As Intake Counselor interviews are conducted on students doing the Narconon Program, we are learning that they started experimenting with nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers or Oxy in their early teens (13-15 years of age) and as the Oxy supply decreased they switched to heroin which is in greater supply. Many said older brothers or sisters introduced then to heroin when they were asking for Oxy,” said Brian Kuehne, Executive Director of Narconon Freedom Center Michigan
These results align with the August 22, 2013 press release on a new report by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) titled, “Nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers may raise the risk of turning to heroin use.” The report shows rise in the overall use of heroin as well as shifts in initiation patterns.
“Prescription pain relievers when used properly for their intended purpose can be of enormous benefit to patients, but their nonmedical use can lead to addiction, serious physical harm and even death,” said Dr. Peter Delany, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. “This report shows that it can also greatly increase an individual’s risk of turning to heroin use – thus adding a new dimension of potential harm.”
The number of people reporting that they have used heroin in the past 12 months rose from 373,000 people in 2007 to 620,000 people in 2011. Similarly, the number of people dependent on heroin in the past 12 months climbed from 179,000 people in 2007 to 369,000 people in 2011. The number of people starting to use heroin the first time in the past 12 months also increased from 106,000 people to 178,000 people during the same period. The full report can be read here - http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k13/DataReview/DR006/nonmedical-pain-reliever-use-2013.pdf
For more information on how to get a loved one struggling with a heroin or prescription pain killer addiction on the road to recovery visit http://www.freedomdrugrehab,com or call an Intake Counselor today at toll-free 877-362-9682. All calls are free of charge and confidential.
About Narconon Freedom Center
Narconon Freedom Center, Albion, Michigan, is a non-profit alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility licensed through the state. The program has been helping those struggling with substance abuse and alcoholism for over 47 years. William Benitez founded the Narconon program in 1966 with the drug-free rehabilitation education researched and developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard. The Narconon program is a holistic drug-free rehab program. The drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility also provides drug prevention education to schools and community outreach programs. For Drug education in your school or community contact the center at 517-629-8661.
John Walser, Narconon Michigan Freedom Center, http://www.narcononmichiganfreedomcenter.com, +1 877-362-9682, [email protected]
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