03:35 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern took questions Tuesday on teen drug use in conjunction with the series "Heroin's Wake."

moderator: A reader writes: Brenden was one of my friends, and I do not appreciate you using him as an example for your anti-drug rhetoric. Brenden's life was one big high, and he would not want your pity. Leave your morals at home, and let us live our lives. Heroin was not the reason for Brenden's death anyways, so if you are going to use him as an example, at least have the courtesy not to offend his friends and print the true cause of death which was asphyxiation. Brenden was not addicted to heroin, it was actually his first time to do that certain drug. Drugs are not the problem, it is the negative way in which drugs are viewed which is the true problem. Please write back because this issue is very close to home. I will even challange you to a debate.

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern: Drugs are indeed an enormous problem in our society, or else their use wouldn't be illegal. In the many years I have been a drug counselor I have seen far too many young people die as a result of a drug overdose, go to jail or prison because of a crime committed while they were drunk or high and always the mess they create for their families. No parents want their children to abuse drugs and risk not only addiction, but also death. Whether Brenden died of a heroin overdose or not, he used heroin shortly before his death and it was a contributing factor.

moderator:  A reader writes - my son is 19, and is on heroin. We have attempted to help him on two occasions. He needs help, in-patient treatment. However, good health insurance will not pay for inpatient treatment. He wants to get away from Dallas area and move in with an uncle in the Pensacola, FL area. First, where can we turn to for counseling, and treatment away from the Dallas area?. Second, my wife is wanting to take him on a family vacation, with her three siblings in the Florida area for next week. I think this is a bad idea, even if he is on meds to reduce withdrawal symptoms. The vacation is next week. Is this not a disaster? My opinion is he would have ample opportunity and access to credit cards, money, to steal from her family. He is not living with us, and we have protected our home in case he attempts to come in while we are gone. Can you advise?

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern:  As you have discovered, recovering from a heroin addiction can be extremely difficult. There are websites that can steer you to treatment programs in Florida or other states. What you are probably looking for is a state-funded program since your insurance will not pay. If your son is currently taking medication to help with his withdrawal, I recommend he stay here during the withdrawal period. He needs some stability and should be attending AA or NA meetings at least once a day. This is a time for him to "work his program," not go on vacation.

carmella bra: My daughter is a recovering heroin addict. She has been in recovery for 2+ years. She is at work today and can't be here, but she asked to to contact you to see if you would have contact info for her re: speaking to students and/or parents re: her experience. She would really like to help in some way. She contacted Allen High School last year, but didn't get a response from them.

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern: First of all, congratulations to your daughter for her 2 years of recovery. I know it hasn't been easy. Schools are reluctant to have recovering young people come in to speak. One reason is because they don't want their students to get the impression that this former drug user is now doing just fine and so her previous use was not such a bad thing. I'd be happy for you or her to contact me at 972-424-1460, ext. 5570 if you're looking for a speaker or other information.

CCharles:  What's the difference between heroin and black-tar heroin?

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern:  What you refer to as heroin is most likely the white powder that is Asian heroin, often called China white. It is processed more than black tar. The black tar we see in Texas is from Mexico or Columbia and is of a higher purity. Asian heroin is not as pure and generally has to be injected. Black tar can be snorted, making it easier to use. But users often end up injecting it later.

brenda: What tips would you give parents who are worried their kids are using drugs?

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern:  There are numerous things you can do. First I suggest you ask them whether they are drinking alcohol and/or smoking marijuana, the 2 most commonly abused substances. Second, do a drug test. You can buy home testing kids at your local pharmacy. Get the kit that tests for the greatest number of drugs. Then spring the test on your child without telling him or her ahead of time. You don't want your child to have any time to cheat. Then a parent should observe the actual urine collection. Alternatively, you could go to a drug testing lab, such as Sur-Scan in Plano, and have them do the test. The next thing to do is to search your child's room on a regular basis, as well as the bathroom your child uses. Bedrooms are the most common hiding places for a child's drugs and paraphernalia. Be on the lookout for over-the-counter medications such as Coricidin Cough and Cold, as they are commonly abused by younger teens. If necessary, look at their cell phones, emails and instant messaging to see who they are talking to and why. One of the biggest indicators or drug use is if your child's friends use. Kids typically drink or get high with their friends, so who they associate with is extremely important. There are many websites that can tell you signs and symptoms of drug use, but your knowledge of your child is key here. You know that child better than anyone and suspicion of use, in my experience, typically indicates actual use. Our office does alcohol/drug assessments at no charge for adolescents and we can determine the extent of your child's use and can guide you on the next steps. Call us at 972-424-1460, ext. 5570.

moderator:  A reader writes - From what I understand there are over-the-counter medications that will erase traces of drugs where they won’t show up on a urine drug test. I believe my son did this last year when I told him in advance when I would be drug testing him. Are the meds truly available? What is the most reliable home-administered drug test?

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern:  There are subtances out there that drug users believe can foil drug test results. The trick is to never announce a drug test in advance, not even a few minutes. You don't want your child to have time to prepare. The home tests which you can buy at your local pharmacy are quite accurate. You could also go to your physician or go to a local lab (ask you doctor where they are). You can also think about doing hair test. It detects drug use for the past three months and is hard to fool. If urine testing, do it often and on an irregular basis.

moderator:  A Collin County reader asks, how much privacy should we give our kids?

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern: I believe that when drug use is involved, privacy goes out the window. It is our job as parents to protect our children, to keep them healthy and safe. When they're using drugs, they are not only endangering their lives, but also breaking the law. If you saw today's Dallas Morning News heroin stories, you saw how several young people changed their lives forever because of drugs. I've heard many parents whose child died of a drug overdose say, "If only I had done more." Parents worry that their child will hate them or no longer trust them or tell them things. If your child is using drugs, you have to be prepared for them to hate you. Years from now you want to be able to say that you did everything you could when you found out your child was using drugs.

brenda:  How prevalent is heroin use among teens? It seems like it's not as used as much as other drugs, but that more kids are using it. It also seems to be one of the scarier drugs out there.

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern:  The most popular drugs among teens are alcohol and marijuana. They are the gateway drugs they often lead to heavier and more dangerous drug use. Although heroin use is not nearly as prevalent as the use of alcohol or marijuana, any heroin use is potentially deadly. In my work with teenagers, we are seeing a rise in the use of cocaine, methamphetamine (also called ice) and prescription medications. No one wants to return to the many heroin overdose deaths we experienced in the late 90s. Even one child using heroin is one child too many and as parents we must do everything we can to prevent that. Heroin is definitely one of the scarier drugs out there, especially because its use can result in death and because it is so highly addictive.

moderator:  John writes - How do you think the media coverage now compares with what happened 10 years ago?

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern:  Ten years ago heroin overdose deaths in Collin County was a new and very frightening story. It is still frightening, but no longer new. Heroin use never stopped, but its use decreased in our county. Now we see that its use is again on the rise. The steps the media have taken are to be commended. This three-part series in the Dallas Morning News serves as a wake-up call to parents that heroin use is still around, still killing our young (and older) citizens and can have devastating consequences to those who use or sell it. I always wish we had more media coverage, but am concerned that people have become so used to these "drug stories" that they don't pay a lot of attention anymore. Often a crisis precipitates action. That happened in the late '90s in Plano. I believe the current media coverage is excellent, powerful and necessary.

moderator:  Another reader asks - Who is to blame for all of the heroin in Plano...how did it get here anyway?

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern:  It gets here physically from Mexico. But there is a market here for heroin, namely individuals who want to buy and use it. Selling drugs is a business, like any other business, a matter of supply and demand. Local law enforcement spends a large percentage of its time looking for drug dealers to get them off our streets. Unfortunately, when one deal is taken out of commission, there is generally another to take his place. It is important to prevent our children from using drugs in the first place, thereby not creating a demand for dangerous drugs like heroin.

Substance abuse coordinator Sabina Stern:  Thank you for your questions and interest about heroin and recovery. If anyone has other questions, feel free to email me at sstern@co.collin.tx.us.