An Especially Vulnerable Victim

Some of you know that my focus has been mostly on drug addiction (specifically heroin) and that I am chronicling my son's recovery this blog.  I follow 40 blogs that are written by other parents of addicts, addicts and people who inform others on the tragedy of our current heroin/opitate epidemic.

One of my favorite blogs on the topic is called Recovery Helpdesk.  Today there was a post about a girl (16) was raped by her drug dealer while her father sat outside in the car waiting for her.  (See link for story).

This sad story reminds me that addicts put themselves at more risk for being the victim of any type of crime there is because of their lifestyle and mindset.  A heroin addict lives for one thing:  more heroin.  You need a certain amount per day to keep yourself from getting violently ill. 

Sometimes addicts (male and female) resort to prostitution or trading sexual favors for drugs.  This teenage girl's father was outside in the car while this happened to her - clueless to that he had just dropped his daughter off to pick up some drugs. 

I share this because I know from experience there is still a stereotype from years ago of what a "heroin addict" looks like.  That stereotype needs to wiped away because in today's teen culture, heroin is commonplace.  The frightening thing is - these kids aren't afraid of it like we were.  They may hear that you can get addicted after one use, but you know what the mentality is at that age:

"It will never happen to me."

I wonder, if it were availalbe so readily in the 70's how many of my friends would have tried it, become addicted and be dead or living on the streets today.  Most of us partied on marijuana, alcohol, cocaine with an occasional "downer", "upper" or hallucinagen (LSD).  But things have changed.

Yesterdays pothead is today's heroin or Oxy addict.  The jails are loaded with them.  Nice kids, the kind you may know from your neigborhood, your church, your kid's school.  Or maybe you even have one living under your roof and have no idea, like I did.

I've learned more about drug addiction and heroin in the last year and I urge you to keep an eye on any teens you know, ages 13 and up.  Awareness is the first step in prevention.  If I knew in October 2008 what I know today, perhaps my son would not be living in a drug rehab today wondering if his best friend is going to make it or not (he's on life support after an OD on Friday night).

Its a serioius problem.  If you are a parent don't say what I did:

"It will never happen to my kid"

(sound familiar?)