NYS Program Set April 7––

Expert Warns That Heroin Is On The Rise

By Tanjua Damon

Heroin is an illicit drug that is creeping its way into communities, including towns like Newtown. Heroin use is on the rise among teenagers and young adults. Newtown Youth Services is offering a program, “Beware: Heroin On The Rise,” Monday, April 7, at 7 pm, in the Memorial Room at 41A Main Street.

John Hamilton, a licensed drug and alcohol counselor and marriage and family therapist, will facilitate the talk for parents and will hold a special session at 8:15 pm for students who want to discuss the issue among their peers. Mr Hamilton, who works at LMG a detox facility, which has nine offices and 22 programs serving Fairfield County, said, “There is an epidemic rise in heroin.”

Through his workshop, Mr Hamilton hopes to explain to parents as well as teens the dangers of the drug as well as provide information for programs that are available for addicts of the street drug.

Part of the problem with heroin addiction is that there are numerous forms that have become available through the mixing of prescription drugs.

For example, the anesthetic fentanyl began to be used illegally in the 1970s. At least 12 different analogues of fentanyl can be found on the streets. The effects of the fentanyl are indistinguishable from those of heroin, according to Mr Hamilton, but fentanyl is more potent and has to be diluted or overdoses will occur. Fentanyl is a very interesting component for underground chemistry because one gram of pure fentanyl is equivalent of 100 grams of street heroin.

Another drug that is just like taking heroin that has caught the eye of teenage users is oxycotin, which is basically a synthetic opiate of heroin. Two hundred people in the last 300 months have sought treatment at LMG for oxycotin use.

“Oxycotin is pretty much like heroin,” Mr Hamilton said. “If you are taking oxycotin you might as wells get addicted to heroin.”

Another new form of heroin is P-dope, which mixes pharmaceuticals procaine and lidocaine with high-purity heroin. P-dope is very powerful street drug that is 20–30 percent pure heroin.

Many addicts use a methadone treatment to help rid them of their cravings for heroin and then begin a counseling process to become clean again from the illegal drugs in their bodies.

“I think I’ll be able to give a broad perspective of what is going on,” Mr Hamilton said, “and give people realistic strategies of what works and what doesn’t.”

Mr Hamilton encouraged parents and the community to come out and hear not only the dangers of heroin, but also the dangers that come with any substance including alcohol when children use them.

“Newtown is not immune to this, but it’s not just Newtown either,” he said. “Binge drinking kills more high school and college students than heroin. We have to be aware of the message we give our kids. It’s here. It’s not going away, but with hope and faith we can do something about it.”

Newtown Youth Services Director Debbie Richardson wants parents and the community to realize that Newtown is not immune to drug use, even heroin.

“The increase in heroin use in Newtown has come to our attention because youth have been coming to us concerned about using and are worried their friends are going to die,” Ms Richardson said. “That’s how we found out about it.”

Youth will also have an opportunity to speak with Mr Hamilton in the private youth session, held in the Parents Corner at Youth Services, after the open program. For more information about these events call 270-4335.