t is a harsh reality that the adolescent walking in the mall or sitting on the couch may use drugs. In Buffalo, N.Y the Erie County medical examiners said,“ there are a total of at least ten deaths a week because of Heroin overdose. Some youths begin with the gateway drug of using marijuana, graduate to pills, and then the hard stuff such.

1. The Epidemic of Youth Drug
Addiction to Heroin
In Our Face
She tied the make shift tourniquet on her arm, a burnt empty
spoon rested on her lap,and I watched her pierce her skin with the
needle. She is no older than sixteen, white, blonde hair, blue eyes,
and a heroin addict. I wanted to scream, “Please don’t do this.” I
know she wouldn’t have listen.
Drug addiction to heroin with our youth is rapidly growing and the
fatality of death is frightening. The ages of addiction is from as
young as ten to the age of twenty. A ten year old who should be
playing video games, Netflix and Chilling, skateboarding, playing

2. sports and going to the mall and instead they are looking for their
next fix seems unreal.
The Crisis of Youth Addiction
It is a harsh reality that the adolescent walking in the mall or
sitting on the couch may use drugs. In Buffalo, N.Y the Erie
County medical examiners said,“ there are a total of at least ten
deaths a week because of Heroin overdose. Some youths begin
with the gateway drug of using marijuana, graduate to pills, and
then the hard stuff such. We live in a time where teenagers are
dealing with a lot of trauma and using drugs as a way of escaping
and becoming numb. A rehabilitation service such as Horizon
Health services has a waiting list for 62 bed unit can expand to

3. over 100 people on the waiting list. Those numbers are frightening
to hear when you are seeking help for your child. Then there is the
issue of insurances not covering the medical costs for rehab and
the prescription drug Subaxone. Many of these denials violate
state and federal laws requiring equal treatment for addiction and
other mental health illnesses, according to the families of those
who are addicted.( Buffalo news).
Coming off the bus in my neighborhood I can often find a young
person nodding off, behind a house shooting up, or snorting the
brown substance. The fact that they are sharing needles and the
reality of contracting a HIV. I grew up around family members,
neighbors, saw overdoses. What about the mothers and fathers
who grew up in suburbs, never encounter a person addicted to
drugs? Those are the ones in need of education, understanding
that a teenager addicted to drugs is outside of the person they once
were. They are not in control of their addiction and behaviors.
They are in the fight of their lives and the battlegrounds are
spreading to suburban and rural neighborhood s. Addiction is a
family disease, and though only one person is using an entire
family suffers. Nothing is more painful than watching the person
you love refusing to seek help. I wrote this because what I saw
today and if I can help one parent, one leader, and the world see
that we must work collectively to eradicate drugs flooding our
communities. Drug addiction isn’t just a one person problem it is
an entire nation’s situation.

5. Where Do We Go from Here?
Know the signs of addiction to Heroin
Paraphernalia
Burnt spoons
Tiny baggies
Tan or whitish powdery residue
Dark, sticky residue
Small glass pipes
Syringes
Rubber tubing
Appearance:
Tiny pupils
Sleepy eyes
Tendency to nod off
Slow breathing
Flushed skin
Runny nose
Actions:
Vomiting
Scratching
Slurred speech
Complaints of constipation
Complaints of nausea
Neglect of grooming
Failure to eat
Covering arms with long sleeves
(Resource from:http://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/signs-
symptoms-heroin-use.html)
Know the Barriers

6. The first barrier is withdrawal symptoms
Denial and refusal of help
Lack of Resources, transportation in suburbs, and rural
neighborhood
No insurance/ Denial of Services
Fear
Shame
You can’t defeat Opiate addiction without a professional help!
Residential treatment
Prayer
Counseling for Drugs and Mental Health
Understand this process does not happen overnight
Medications to help with withdrawals
Seek counsel and support groups for yourself
Look for local agencies that train you Opioid Overdose Prevention
CDC States funding Opioid Overdose Prevention
Numbers to Contact to Seek Support and Information On
Treatment
Call 1–800–662-HELP (4357) or visit the online treatment
locators.
800–390–4056
If you are located in Buffalo, NY
24 Hour Crisis Hotline
Buffalo and Erie County
716–834–3131

7. 24 Hour Addiction Hotline
Buffalo and Erie County
716–831–7007