YOUTHS' HEROIN USE RISES

White, Suburban Ohioans First Hooked On Prescriptions

Heroin abuse among white youth and young suburban adults is
increasing in Ohio, according to a new report released Wednesday.

The report, which detailed drug trends in the state, attributed the
increase to more young people becoming hooked first on prescription
drugs.

''For some youth, they start off with prescription drug abuse and
it's not a strong enough opiate and then they go to heroin,'' said
Amanda Conn Starner, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Alcohol
and Drug Addiction Services.

The semi-annual report was released by the Ohio Substance Abuse
Monitoring Network, a research partnership of the state agency,
Wright State University and the University of Akron. Researchers
interview drug users, treatment providers and law enforcement to
determine the drug trends.

The analysis, which covered June 2007 to January 2008, was a mixed
bag, according to officials.

''There hasn't been a huge change in the drug scene,'' said Sonia A.
Alemagno, director of the Institute for Health and Social Policy at
the University of Akron.

Overall heroin use -- which now includes a spike in black tar heroin
- -- has remained steady over the last couple of years. Prescription
drug abuse combined with alcohol use among youth and senior citizens
also has remained consistent.

''We're still having a problem with people going to their medicine
cabinets and abusing the drugs that are there,'' Conn Starner said.

Meanwhile, there's been no significant change in marijuana or cocaine
use, which remains high.

The good news is that abuse of methamphetamines and OxyContin is
declining because of a lack of street availability, the report said.

Counselors at Oriana House Inc., a nonprofit treatment provider in
Akron, agreed with the report's findings, especially concerning heroin use.

''Clients at a younger age -- as young as high school students -- are
getting involved with prescription opioids and then they move up to
OxyContin, but it becomes cost prohibitive and they move to heroin
because it's cheaper,'' said Mike Burkett, administrative services
coordinator for Oriana House.

Heroin also is readily available in Akron.

It used to be that 75 percent of clients at Oriana House's A.D.M.
Crisis Center checked in for alcohol abuse, but now 50 percent are
being treated for opiates, which include morphine, heroin and codeine.

The younger generation has been exposed to more prescription drugs,
whether it's pain medication or a drug to control attention deficit
disorder, Alemagno said. Because of that exposure, members of the
''pill generation'' don't recognize themselves as drug abusers when
they are taking prescription medication, she said.

''Even their parents were raised to think that anything can be fixed
with a pill,'' Alemagno said.

The Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network report also identified
drug trends by region. In addition to heroin, other drugs such as
crack, cocaine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and benzodiazepines can easily
be found in Akron. The community also is seeing an increase in the
hallucinogenic drug Ecstasy.