Report shows increase in teen heroin addiction

By Staff Writer

The amount of individuals young and old seeking treatment for heroin addiction remains high in Dallas County, reports The Dallas Morning News. This data comes from a recently released report by the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

Data from the Drug Impact Index report indicates more than 200 teenagers under 18 were admitted to state-funded drug rehab centers. In addition, there was an increase in the number of adults between the ages of 18 and 30 admitted for heroin addiction.

An analysis of toxicology reports from the Dallas County medical examiner’s office by the Dallas Morning News shows that at least 30 local teenagers 18 and under died from a heroin overdose between 2005 and 2009.

In 2005, a total of 33 adolescents were treated for heroin addiction. That number increased to 218 in 2009, with 2010’s data not yet available.

A drug prevention expert who spoke to the news source explained that teenage heroin users believe the substance and others such as marijuana are harmless.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, treatment for an opiate addiction may be more effective when abuse of the substance is identified early. Individuals who have developed a heroin dependency may be able to receive help from drug rehab centers.