In recent years heroin use has spiked drastically, making it one of the most popular and deadly drugs. Heroin initially gained popularity among users due to the euphoric high it gives resembling that of prescription pain medication. Today, heroin has wrecked lives throughout the nation with heroin-related deaths quadrupling between the years of 2002-2013.

In 2014, Frederick County reported 98 heroin-related overdoses: 71 nonfatal and 27 fatal, not counting homicides, suicides, or natural deaths related to the drug.

Heroin is an opioid, a family of drugs that relive pain by reducing the intensity of pain signals within one’s central nervous system. Most heroin addictions start either by individuals going from “simpler” drugs such as alcohol or marijuana and looking for an increasing high, or from them getting hooked on pain medications such as oxycodone or morphine. In fact four out of five new heroin users admit that they began heroin use via the misuse of prescription painkillers.

Margaret Nusbaum, Special Administrate Director of Frederick County, said, “Heroin is a very addictive substance that is cheap and can be readily found, unfortunately.  What I have learned from individuals [who have found a way out of their heroin addiction] is that they were first dependent on pain killers which are very expensive.  Of the participants in the Frederick County Drug Court program, 50% have indicated that heroin was their drug of choice.”

In 2014 there were 29,467 opioid-related deaths, with around 35% due to heroin.

Of course, gateway drugs such as marijuana have their influence as well. Jennifer Radil-Harris, transition education teacher and sibling of a brother with a heroin addiction, said, “Anybody who says ‘It’s just pot.’ or ‘It’s just alcohol.’ I know three 20-somethings who have died in the last 18 months from heroin related deaths. Three, and all of those twenty-year-olds started out drinking and smoking a little pot. I’m not saying that everyone who drinks or smokes underage is going to become a heroin addict, but I’ve witnessed in my own personal life people go from pot, to pills, speed, cocaine, heroin. And I think, especially if people have an addictive personality, they’re more likely to want to progress.”

Pamela Knight, recovered drug addict, and member of the Frederick County chapter of Maryland Heroin Awareness Advocates, adds, “It’s all the same; unfortunately, heroin is the lowest grade opium that is around. It’s cut with who knows what, every time these kids get a batch, they don’t know what’s in it. But they get it because it’s cheap.”

Knight often provides help with Save Our Children, an organization for parents whose children are addicted to heroin.

“So that was kind of like my thing. I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to give back.’ And it makes me feel good that I can help somebody. If I can get through to somebody, and there is a magic between someone who is an addict and someone that was an addict but is now clean,” said Knight.

Knight also delivers presentation on heroin addictions at meetings to spread awareness.

“I did my rehab in Flordia, and I realized they were so advanced, and when I got up here I just started to see there wasn’t any awareness. There wasn’t the freeness to talk about it. It’s an epidemic and we have to deal with it or people are going to continue to die,” Knight said.

Many people don’t wan’t to address complicated topics such as heroin use. It either makes them uncomfortable or they just don’t have someone to talk to about it. But it’s so important to talk about and become educated about so that we know how we can prevent and combat heroin addiction. We can be that person to talk to, the one to spur a conversation on it or just be there so someone else can.

Recently, Classmates4Life made videos on drug awareness. Sophomore Alex Ismael placed first in the High School category for the contest. When asked what inspired him to make his video, he replied, “I was talking with my friend, texting her back and forth later in the evening, and we were talking about this idea, how all your friends and family represent a light. I just sort of took that idea and applied it to this contest, to show that using drugs will turn out your lights,”

“I think it’s a really growing problem. Drugs as a whole are something that we’re always combating, and when new drugs come out and catch on, I think it sort of becomes the main issue. Heroin right now is that drug that everybody is using that we need to put a stop to,” Ismael added.

One thing being used to combat heroin overdoses is Naloxone.

Naloxone is used to reverse the effects of heroin and other opioid overdoses by blocking effects of the overdose in the central nervous and respiratory systems.

Law enforcement and emergency teams are being trained to use this drug on victims when an overdose does occur, and a push is also occurring to stock this drug in homes and schools as part of a typical medicine cabinet.

There is some speculation that this drug will encourage and increase heroin use more than it will stop overdoses. Mrs. Radil-Harris feels the complete opposite. “I don’t think someone who’s addicted to heroin is going to do more. I think they’re going to do it. Using it at all is life threatening. Every time they do it it’s like playing Russian roulette, so I’m in favor of putting [Naloxone] everywhere. Like those heart defibrillators that we have now, if somebody has a heart attack, you take that out. To me it’s something like that. Why wouldn’t we want to have something that could perhaps save a life? And it already has saved many lives.”

Nusbaum agreed. “I believe that Naloxone can be very effective in helping stem the tide of fatal overdoses.  I would recommend to anyone who has a family member with a heroin addiction to seek help from our health department behavioral health services to help determine if having Naloxone available to them is a good idea for their family.  I would go to the experts to seek advice and guidance.”

Heroin, like all drugs, is dangerously addictive and difficult to get off of. “What happens in the beginning is it’s fun, and then all of a sudden you realize you’re addicted physically, now what? You can’t get out because there’s nothing worse than going through withdrawal, you feel like you’re dying. So basically you continue to use, and it’s not fun anymore.” Knight said, “Nobody wakes up or grows up and says, ‘I want to be an addict.’ None of us say that.”

If someone you know is using, has used, or seem as if they will use heroin, then it’s vital that you tell someone. “What friends and family can do is if you see somebody who’s starting to use something, talk to them about it, tell their parents, you know, I’d rather lose a friendship than lose a friend. I’d rather have my kid mad at me than lose my kid. So I would say talk to them about it. Encourage them. Tell their parents. Tell anybody who will listen, and don’t give up on them,” said Radil-Harris.

Radil-Harris added, “I guess my main thing would just be tell somebody and just don’t give up. Keep trying other ways to help a person, and again, if people know someone who’s starting to play around with pills, like when it starts escalating, I just fear that the likelihood of it continuing to escalate is there.”

“Friends and family can help in many ways.  If someone is an active addict, they need help.  Family and friends can guide their loved one to substance abuse treatment.  It may take multiple tries at treatment before an addict can recover and stay away from drugs,” Nusbam added.

There is a lot of fear especially surrounding teens, of telling an adult about a friend or family member who does drugs. There are worries about these individuals being angry with or even hating them, but it’s the best solution to guarantee that the problem doesn’t escalate. Their anger may deescalate over time and they may understand why you did what you did, or they may not, but at least they’ll still be alive.

“People can work together in many ways.  In a very basic way, people can treat each other with civility, respect and honesty.  Open communication is key to knowing each other, to knowing what can be bothering another, and to helping one another. If someone sees or finds drugs, they should tell an adult, or a teacher, or a police officer.  If someone comes across another person who is high or under the influence of any substance, get them to a medical professional for help.  Call 911 for immediate emergency help.  If someone needs information or referral services, call 211.  [This number] is a service in our community that can link anyone to help, to information, or to services.  The operators are kind, supportive individuals who can walk anyone through key points of information that can help them get assistance,” said Nusbaum.

“It’s about awareness, it’s about making sure everybody understands what it’s all about and how easy it is to get addicted because I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It’s part of my journey and it happened to me and it’s better on the other side,” said Knight.

What’s important to remember about drug addicts is that they should not be defined by the drug they do. We have to recognize that drug addiction is a disease. Instead of sticking our nose up at those who are addicted, we can be there for them and try to help.

“I just try to educate parents as well as students and try to change the stigma of the words ‘Drug addict’ because when you hear the word drug addict, you just think of a person [who’s] just gross. That person’s still a human being. And they’re sick. Drug addiction is a disease,” Knight said.

Ms. Radil-Harris said, “It’s not a character issue. It’s not like they’re immoral. It’s not like they don’t care about themselves. It’s not a character issue. It’s like they have cancer and they can’t get rid of it.”

When it comes down to it, heroin is a devastating drug, but by not giving up and nipping it in the bud to try to prevent people from using it in the first place, we can help reduce the string of deaths caused by it.