Johnny Patout, CEO of New Beginnings Adolescent Recovery Center, discusses the changing face of heroin
Today, the average age of a heroin user is 21 years old. High potency and readied availability have made heroin increasingly more appealing to younger and younger generations.
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) March 12, 2014
Teen heroin use has increased by 80 percent, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Once seen as a dirty drug used by junkies in dark alleyways, it now seems heroin has been running rampant through the homes of Hollywood. Even more worrisome, however, is its slow creep through the streets of the suburbs and right into the hands of American teenagers.
Why are so many parents unaware and unconcerned about this new trend? Many are simply grossly uninformed about the dangerous drug. Johnny Patout, CEO of New Beginnings Adolescent Recovery Center, the leading teen residential treatment program in the Southwest and one recognized nationwide for teen rehabilitation, has compiled a list of the top four myths surrounding heroin use in America.
1. The “heroin era” is over. “Many of today’s parents remember the rise and fall of heroin in the 1990s,” explains Patout. “While it is true that specific drugs tend to increase and decrease in popularity over time, this doesn’t negate the potency or the prevalence of the drug. It may be easy to write off heroin in the national headlines, but heroin use is growing locally at an alarming rate in almost every major city across the United States.”
2. Heroin is only for older, hardcore addicts. “Unfortunately movies and television shows have skewed the public perception of this deadly drug,” says Patout. “Parents have lured themselves into a false sense of security thinking that heroin is only done by older men, homeless junkies, rich actors or basically anyone but their teen. This is simply not the case. Today, the average age of a heroin user is 21 years old. High potency and readied availability have made heroin increasingly more appealing to younger and younger generations.”
3. Heroin will only be dangerous to you if you do too much of it. “The word ‘overdose’ is often misused and misunderstood,” explains Patout. “While many see it as simply taking an exuberant amount of drugs, they fail to understand the large discrepancies in what it takes to overdose on each individual narcotic. Often, heroin deaths do not result from taking the heroin alone. Heroin is an extremely potent drug that is usually mixed with other substances. This kind of toxic cocktail makes overdosing incredibly easy.”
4. Heroin is not easily obtainable. “Again, due to the media’s portrayal of heroin use, many have come to see the substance as something that can only be purchased for a high price in a shady area of town,” says Patout. “Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. The price of heroin has dramatically decreased while the pureness has increased in recent years and popular forms of use such as snorting have given it even more bang for the buck. Heroin, now sold in a powder-filled capsule, has become the number one replacement for prescription pain pills, which tout a heftier price tag. Alarmingly, a capsule of heroin can sell for just around 10 dollars.”
With so many myths surrounding drug use, it can be easy to lose track of the truth. Arming themselves with correct information and staying on top of current trends is the best way that parents can keep their teens safe.
For more information on teen drug addiction and recovery or to schedule an interview with Johnny Patout, please contact Stephanie Wick at 972-850-5866 or swick(at)ideagrove(dot)com.
About New Beginnings Adolescent Recovery Center
New Beginnings Adolescent Recovery Center, the leading teen drug rehabilitation program in the Southwest and one recognized nationwide, has been helping teens overcome addiction for more than 30 years. New Beginnings offers a continuum of care for inpatient treatment, residential treatment, partial hospitalization and outpatient programs, and works with private insurance providers to find the lowest costs for their patients. For more information, visit http://www.newbeginningsteenhelp.com/.
