heroin.jpg
It's being called an epidemic with tragic consequences. An alarming number of teens and young adults in the Puget Sound area are going from prescription pain killers to heroin as their drug of choice. (AP Photo/file)

Heroin problem in Puget Sound area getting younger

BY Ursula Reutin  on February 15, 2013 @ 7:09 am (Updated: 9:38 am - 2/15/13 )

It's being called an epidemic with tragic consequences.

An alarming number of teens and young adults in the Puget Sound area are going from prescription pain killers to heroin as their drug of choice.

"If we don't get our hands and heads around how to stop this, we're going to be losing kids left and right," says Frank Couch, the Executive Director of the Science and Management of Addictions. "In fact, we are."

Couch is also a counselor at SAMA and he says heroin use among suburban teens is rampant. "It's no longer the person of color in the alley with a needle in his arm," he says. "Now, it's the kid with the Ray-Bans on, smoking heroin in his room with his friends."

Heroin is not a new problem in Seattle. In 1998, the heroin death rate in the city soared to 144, prompting Rolling Stone magazine to label Seattle "the junkie town."

Then, for about a decade, prescriptions for opiate-based painkillers skyrocketed and pain pills surpassed heroin as the leading cause of fatal overdoses. In the last couple of years, drug makers have reformulated the pills so they can't be easily ground down to inject. In addition, stricter guidelines for doctors and increased awareness have made them harder to get. So now, heroin is making a comeback.

"The Oxy's are quite expensive [...] $90 a pill vs. $20 for a small bag of heroin," Couch explains.

About 40 percent of heroin addicts at local needle exchanges say their addiction started with prescription painkillers. Not only is the heroin today cheaper, it's more potent, and that means it's more addictive. The resurgence of the drug is evidenced by the calls coming into the King County Recovery Helpline.

"The number one drug that people are calling about in King County and many other parts of the state is heroin, followed by prescription painkillers, then maybe marijuana. That's new," says Caleb Banta-Green, a research scientist at the University of Washington's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute.

What's also new, he says, is how young the addicts are when they go into heroin treatment for the first time.

"The biggest growth we're seeing is between the 18 and 29 year olds. And that's not just in King County, that's pretty much across the state," says Banta-Green. "That's quite striking. The average age of people coming in for heroin treatment has dropped from 40 to 26, that's an enormous change over a decade."

Banta-Green says it's alarming because it foreshadows what's to come. Although the heroin overdose death rate today is about half of what it was in 1998, he says deaths are the ultimate "lagging indicator."

While treatment is available, SAMA's Director Frank Couch says there aren't enough beds or facilities for the size of the problem. Rehab is also expensive, with in-patient treatment easily costing thousands of dollars a month.

If you don't have insurance, he says your child has to "cross the line," either by getting kicked out of school or committing a drug crime and face legal charges. "If that's your access into treatment, then you've already slipped pretty far down the scale with your addiction," he says.

There are other barriers. The age of consent for drug treatment in Washington is 13 years old and the state has no lock-down facilities. Once your kid hits that age, your child has to agree to go to treatment. At any point, they can decide they no longer want to continue getting help and check themselves out.

Couch says drug addiction is a chronic, progressive illness that only gets better with regular treatment. He says it needs to become more of a priority because early education about the dangers and early intervention are critical.

"We need to do a better job at how we treat and manage this addiction because it's ruining lives of too many young people," he says. "This is our future and we need to give them a better chance."

For more information about SAMA and how to get help for a drug addiction visit samafoundation.org. Also visit stopoverdose.org for information on how to stop an opiate overdose and prevent an overdose death.

You might also be interested in:

Seattle News Anchor Penny LeGate keeps daughter's memory alive with 'Marah Project'

Ursula Reutin, KIRO Radio Reporter
Ursula Reutin is the news anchor for The Dori Monson Show and has worked nearly every position in the KIRO Radio newsroom since her arrival in 1988.
More Local News
Top Stories

  • I-5 Bridge Collapse
    Three people were pulled from the water after I-5 bridge collapses over Skagit River

  • Ban Lifted
    Washington state leaders hail vote to allow openly gay Boy Scouts

  • There's a Zone for That
    Mapping out a plan for marijuana growers and sellers
MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (45)


  • Add A Comment

  • just Fred wrote...
    this is pathetic
    February 15, 2013 11:09 am
    All you party politic thumpers out there should be ashamed. Why is it you scream the government is too big and controls too much of your lives, you are so busy pointing fingers at each other you lose sight of the real problems and then you turn around and say "the government should do something" when it comes to drugs. NO THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT DO SOMETHING, BUT YOU, AS PARENTS, SHOULD! For starters, how about getting involved with your kids, volunteering for school functions and boys and girls club programs. OH, your too busy. Yeah, I understand, it's only your kids lives at stake...........
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    FRED!!!
    February 15, 2013 11:24 am
    i didn't see your post!

    SPOT. ON.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ToldYa wrote...
    well said
    February 15, 2013 5:37 pm
    Fred
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wsualumn wrote...
    FRED
    February 16, 2013 8:52 am
    Right on!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Fakename70 wrote...
    Geez, Heroin STILL?
    February 15, 2013 11:11 am
    I thought H had played itself out in Seattle in the '90's! I wonder what could possibly be the attraction to these kids in 2013?! Of course, I'm sure my parents generation asked that same question when I was in my late teens/early 20's in the the late '80's/early '90's. I'll be 43 this year and, swear to God, had no clue that youngsters in Seattle were still shooting up just as (some) of my dead friends had 20+ years ago. Unbelievable.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    political parties...REALLY?
    February 15, 2013 11:22 am
    how about PARENTS!? left, right...WHO CARES!!!???

    WHERE ARE MOM AND DAD!? WHY do these kids have that much disposable income!!!??? HEROIN!!!??? how does that get by mom and dad!?

    PARENTS should be the MAIN solution to this problem.

    all you trolls, YOU SOUND IDIOTIC!!! this isn't a political party issue! this is a SOCIATAL issue.

    PARENTS. GET YOU STUFF TOGETHER AND RAISE YOU KIDS TO NOT BE WORTHLESS JUNKIE LOSERS!!!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • just Fred wrote...
    right on Oly80
    February 15, 2013 11:24 am
    you are exactly correct
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    OH, AND...
    February 15, 2013 11:27 am
    tell them to pull up their sagging skinny jeans. they look like morons.

    AND, if you wear sagging skinny jeans as an adult...you ARE a moron.

    (and you look like a fool.)

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    Well DonV
    February 15, 2013 11:34 am
    you are writing down to stereotype. Bigotry is described as holding a position in the face of clear evidence to the contrary. Refusing to look at such contrary evidence in order to maintain such a false position is more than mere bigotry, it is willful retreat into fantasy, borderline insanity. No wonder almost all mass killers are leftists. Nuts is nuts.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DonVigo wrote...
    Nuts is nuts and...
    February 15, 2013 12:32 pm
    Stupid is as stupid does. "Writing down to stereotype?" Does that make sense to you?! The only thing I'm a biggot towards is morons. You sir, are just that. You advise I look into something that breaks down to little more than nickle and dime word rhetoric which is roughly as factual as a movie review, nothing more than interpritation. In fact, you didn't bother to provide ANY actual information to ignore, just a few choice words that seem to suit your cause. As a centrist, I've always said both wings have it wrong... But you, and so many posters on this site give off the distinct impression that the right wing is the far more caustic and destructive one of the two. Keep spouting your false sense of superiority, keep up all of your anger, keep spewing your asinine insults, and you're just going to keep those of us in the middle leaning left due to your alienating tact. The more of you who feel the need to turn EVERY story into a problem with the Democrats will just continue to inspire people to do anything but what you suggest. To end on another cliche' "you catch more flies with honey." Or; if you want people to agree with your thoughts, don't phrase them like you're just a terrible person with a chip on your shoulder. Incindiary rhetoric is going to be the death of your party.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ElenaT wrote...
    i've lost my
    February 15, 2013 11:55 am
    29 year old friend to heroin. she's still alive, but irrevokably broken. i've seen her bounce back from substance abuse issues before, but i don't think she's coming back from this one. i think she's going to kill herself instead of facing the possibility of never using again. i feel bad for her three kids. she chose to live in a car with a 25 year old junkie over living with her ex husband or parents. it's a sick drug, and i thought i knew drugs.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    You ALL know
    February 15, 2013 12:48 pm
    that there's FAR more personal choice -- stupidity, in this case -- than politics involved in someone choosing to do heroin. If you're too d4mn stupid to see through some "evil motive" of a political party or any other organization, if indeed it exists, you probably have far bigger problems anyway. This is Darwin's Theory in action. You choose the behavior, you choose the consequences. And if heroin is your choice, you're an ephing idiot.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • monroemad wrote...
    WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO USE NOW?
    February 15, 2013 1:20 pm
    If you look at the abyss this country is falling into with China being our masters ,40% on welfare, and 21 million can't find work. We might all want to check out on heavy drugs. What is the point anymore?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • William Lawn wrote...
    We are all blaming the "tool" here
    February 15, 2013 3:43 pm
    Just like guns have something to do with suicide and murder, heroin has something to do with drug deaths.

    Liberal fantasy.

    Maybe we should register needles!

    Background checks for drug sales, oh wait!

    A slippery slope.

    Pretty soon law abiding citizen will not be able but heroin.

    Oh wait!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Hey ...S E A T T L E ! ! ! !
    February 15, 2013 5:31 pm
    Instead of battling "plastic bags" and the non threat of "assault weapons" pull your head out of your liberal you know whats and battle something worthwhile for once you liberal cowards.You sheep.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ToldYa wrote...
    Prescription Pharamcuticals
    February 15, 2013 5:36 pm
    The gateway drug....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }