Why The Teens Most Likely To Try Heroin Aren't The Ones You Suspect

Health & Medical Blog

It's a common story that drug use in teens is most prevalent among those with troubled home lives and struggles with poverty, but at least for heroin, this story isn't actually true. Believing a myth like this one could keep you in the dark about your own teen's drug use until it's too late. Discover which types of teens actually have the highest rates of heroin use and why.

Suburban Appeal

A widespread study conducted in 2014 revealed that heroin users were more likely to be affluent and living in a relatively wealthy suburb rather than poor and living in an inner city environment. This trend encompasses both ends of the age spectrum when it comes to drug use, so this means that plenty of well-off teens are using the drug in between after school activities and AP class tests. The drug has a surprising appeal among the children of wealthy parents, and the disposable income available to those teens allows them to access heroin and other drugs with surprising ease as well.

Gateway Drugs

Aside from having greater access drugs due to having more cash on hand, teens in suburban enclaves also tend to have accidental or intentional access to prescription painkillers as well. Some teens are prescribed the medication by a doctor or get it from the home medicine cabinet, while others purchase it as a street drug from fellow students or adults in the larger community. This is an important risk factor because 75% of teen heroin users used prescription opioids first and then expanded into heroin use. Controlling teen access to prescription drugs is just as important as keeping them away from sources of illicit street drugs, so don't assume your child has to go anywhere to increase their risk of heroin use if there are opioids in your medicine cabinet right now.

Sober Schools

Since it's the community and the availability of wealth that makes heroin use so dangerous among suburban teens, it's often necessary to take further steps when encouraging a young drug user to get clean and stay sober so they can get back on track with college and career goals. Sober schools, either as day treatments or as a live-in option, are a good option because they reduce sources of temptation for addicts that are struggling with impulse control already due to age alone. There are sober classes and schools forming all over the country due to the sheer spread of heroin addiction. To find out more, speak with a business like Brightside Clinic.

24 March 2017