Teen Heroin Use - and Deaths - On the Rise

Heroin Is Cheaper than Ever and Pure Enough to Snort, Spurring Tragedies Like the Death of Honor Student Natalie Ciappa

(CBS)  A rise in heroin abuse by teenagers across the country has led one high school to issue an ultimatum to parents: Attend a seminar on the dangers of heroin or your child will banned from the prom.

CBS News national correspondent Jim Axelrod reports more than 1,000 parents showed up to the forum in Smithtown, N.Y., Wednesday night.

It is still easy to find heroin addicts shooting up in a New York City stairwell.

"Once you like it you fall in love with it," one said.

Even these junkies know they are yesterday's news. The heroin on the street today is so pure that kids in the suburbs are now snorting it.

"When they find out they can snort it they don't think they can get addicted because they're not injecting it," another junkie said.

Those teenagers include Natalie Ciappa, a National Honor Society member at her high school on Long Island, star of school plays, and a cheerleader who sang the National Anthem at basketball games. She was everything a parent could want - and the furthest thing from the traditional picture of a heroin addict.

But she is one of the new faces of heroin addiction. Days before her high school graduation in 2008, Natalie overdosed and died.

When we found her she was already gone," said Natalie's mother Doreen Ciappa. "She wasn't breathing. We heard her last breath."

Natalie was one of 46 people to die last year from a heroin overdose in Nassau County, N.Y., a 75 percent increase from the year before. That's a troubling spike being felt nationwide.

Heroin has killed 23 people so far this year in Will county, Ill., compared to 16 last year. The number of heroin deaths in Jefferson County, Ala., has tripled from six in 2007 to 18 this year. And in 2008 there were 119 heroin deaths across Oregon - 71 in Multnomah County alone.

A small bag of heroin "is actually cheaper than a six pack of beer," said John Gilbride, the special agent in charge for the Drug Enforcement Agency's New York field office.

Dealers have refined production methods, making the drug cheaper and more powerful - 15 times as pure as 1970s heroin.

"You can do heroin once," Gilbride said, "and it may be the last chance that you get to do heroin."

Users are getting younger: More 8th graders now say they've tried heroin in the last year than 12th graders.

"So it's here and you have to accept the fact that your perfect kid could make a mistake like Natalie," said Natalie's father Victor Ciappa. "If you don't catch it in time, you're going to bury your kid."

Victor Ciappa doesn't need a survey to warn him of the danger. The reminders hang throughout his home.

[daviddiane]

I would like to share that my son died in Sept from a heroin overdose. My husband and I had discussed and warned him about drug use. We were aware that he was "occasionally" using pot and admitted to taking LSD twice. What we had no idea of was that he was snorting heroin. We couldn't believe and still can't. His incredible poor judgement has torn apart my family. I don't wish it on anyone. If only we had suspected just how far his drug use was or how extensive, we would have intervened. We are destoyed and heartbroken, as is our other son who is away at college. My son had just turned 19 years old the day before this horrific event. I can't believe he would have the nerve to sniff this junk up his nose and even bring it into our home. We tried to be loving, supportive parents who accepted him as he was and gave him the world. Maybe that was part of the problem. Drugs have destroyed my family.

[sam-kiley]

bonsoir
by jt92202 October 30, 2009 3:32 PM EDT
My nephew died last year from a overdose of Heroin, he was trying to get clean from it and had been for a month or so. He was going to go into treatment 3 days before he died, his last hurrah killed him..

désolée..


Heroin Is Cheaper than Ever and Pure Enough to Snort,

et par quelle miracle..?????

si cette "saleté" pardonnez le terme est a la portée des enfants..a bas prix, ils s'en serviront c'est sur...et comme toujours les parents sont les derniers a s'en apercevoir...indisponibilité..absence...etc...en somme si l'adolescent ne meurt pas avec une arme, il succombera a une overdose...au revoir

[DrugRehab]

For all heroin problems vist www.InternationalDrugRehab.com

[jt92202]

My nephew died last year from a overdose of Heroin, he was trying to get clean from it and had been for a month or so. He was going to go into treatment 3 days before he died, his last hurrah killed him. Since his body hadn't had it for almost a month the amount he use to take was not the amount his body would accept that last time. He was 20 years old when he died. The heroin he received was dirty also, people had been taken to the hospital because of the heroin but it killed him. No body knows if it was the dirty heroin or the amount that he did or both but the person that sold it to him is now in jail for distributing heroin and selling heroin that he new was dirty. My nephew?s addiction stated when he was 16, the doctor prescribed Oxycontin for a snow board accident where he got hurt. He got addicted to the oxcy's and when they no longer got him high he turned to heroin. That is the story of many of our teens and young adults, I have heard this story over and over and over only with different names. He came from a good home where both his mom and dad lives together, along with his sister and brother. They were a very tight nit family but they knew over the last 6 months or so that he had a big problem and was doing everything they could to help including taking him away and getting him sober right before he died. Drugs were not part of his upbringing at all!

Heroin is ruining lives of our youth, there is some help, www.samafoundation.org (Science and Management of Addictions), this is a foundation that has been started in Washington State by some very well know people. Go to the web site and read what they have to say and how we can help. My sister does belong to the group and they are doing great things in DC trying to get help with this. Heroin doesn't only afflict the homeless, people from broken homes or mentally unstable people; it can happen in any family in any country.

The loss of him was and is very hard on all of us who love him, don't let this happen to your family or anyone else?s family. Learn the signs and don't think your family is too good for this because I know from experience it can happen to anyone!

[lulucleo]

I agree with prov1624. But I would also like to point out that when a parent tries to parent, the kids are not listening because society has taught kids that they have rights and if mom or dad yell at you or give you a well deserved spanking, it's child abuse. Apparently, we're supposed to "reason" with children now.

[AttentionDeficit]

Doing a helluva job, DEA

[robinspp]

Nothing is more harmful than tobacco.

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

the biggest Gateway drug is Alcohol.

[cidaia]

how many high school kids die from tobacco overdose?

[AttentionDeficit]

"Casual drug users should be taken out and shot..."
----Daryl Gates

Amen to that. No one has the right to engage in such narcissism, doesn't matter if it's pot or heroin or binge drinking.

Army Of Twelve: Why limit it to binge drinking? Why not any drinking? Is alcohol not as casual a drug as pot? And, Gates is a mouthy punk.

[troopf4]

Hermitdave: Hey, Obama seems to be your guy by your comments:
Listen up: Obmaa said he would correct all the bad the Bush Admin. did and make it all good for us. Move on fool and jump on the Obama wagon and lets see all those promises kept.
Oh wait a minute; Obama won't send troops to Afghanistan because his Health Care Reform is more important that saving our troops lives - does he care that without more troops they're sitting ducks. I love him saluting the coffins of the dead troops then has on his policial website a video of the American Falg being defaced to promote his agenda. What a disrespectful piece of **** Obama is!!!Check it out - anything to get relected - he's looking at 2012, to hell with here and now re jobs, people losing their homes and that it cost the tax payers $24,000.0 for every cash for clunker vehicle sold - need all those government workers to process the paperwork. The only jobs that have been created are civil service - how are they paid - from taxes.Obama: When ask about creating For Profit jobs - his answer: What in the hell is that? Community Organizers work for Non_Profit Organizations funded by tax payers.
When Obama was training ACORN he told them to target Democratic Idiots
to register to vote: Definition: Democrats with a high school dipolma, GED or lower level of education - anyone above that level had too much sense to buy into his ********..

[troopf4]

wow greco99-2009, Are you a secret spy? With all that info you need to get in touch with Obama and his gang and do something about all that corruption. Don't hold your breath thou -
Obama has done nothing about the murder rate in Chicago of young people - just a few blocks from his neighborhood.
I suppose the simplist solution is - don't take drugs - live a long life.

[greco99-2009]

CBS reports: Karzai Brother: Drug Lord, CIA Darling?
Alleged Reliance on Corrupt Brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai More Bad News for U.S. Campaign in Afghanistan.

You would have to be living in a tree if you think the Afghan villagers bring the drugs here on their own. And, it is not Taliban with connections to America's street drug dealers.

Clearly there is government involvement on the Afghan side, and very likely rogue elements of the military/covert/contractor community.

Supporting 'good drug lords' over 'bad drug loads' is a deeply flawed foreign policy.

Remember one of the first things Bush did was to send 37 Million dollars to the Taliban government for drug eradication.

[KHLady7]

It is for the weak unless you are talking about Pot...which SHOULD be legal.
I love how they are talking about heroin when how many people die from alcohol?
We need to educate kids better...with the FACTS. Not just "don't do this...don't try that. It's bad for you. It'll kill you." Explain to them how they will feel..the "positive" of it and then the negative. Explain the risks involved but in an intelligent matter.
DARE class spoke so many lies...

[hermitdave]

Sure was one lucky day for big drugs when president Cheney ordered the attack on Afghanistan. Those evil Taliban dudes had just about decimated the poppy growing business. Thanks to the Americans, the country has set a new record of production every year since the Afghan crusade. So if you kid gets hooked on heroin, you can thank Dick Cheney and Rummy and the other members of the WAR CRIMINALS ASSOCIATION.

[greco99-2009]

It is coming from Afghanistan. It is a form of 'blow back' or unintended consequence.

And, key people in the organized crime operations that are importing and distributing the Heroin are well entrenched inside the US military, intelligence and/or military contractor establishment. They have insider information and use drug interdiction ops to eliminate competition.

Follow the money (personally audit the contractors and shadow operatives -- especially the big wigs) and you will find the real criminals...

[brianbwb-2009]

Not even unintended, these drugs are meant for the Euro-American markets.

The only part unintentional is if one of their own loved ones dies from it.

How else can these creeps find millions of dollars "off the record" for their games without arousing the suspicion of taxpayers?

[brianbwb-2009]

Not even unintended, these drugs are meant for the Euro-American markets.

The only part unintentional is if one of their own loved ones dies from it.

How else can these creeps find millions of dollars "off the record" for their games without arousing the suspicion of taxpayers?

[jt92202]

Most the heroin coming into america comes from south of our border, mexico, central america, and south america. While some of it is origianaly from Afganistan the majority of it does not. What Afganistan produces mostly goes to Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Asia.

Heroin is a large problem across the US, kids are using it as a recreational drug and it is way more toxic than it ever has been. In the summer of 2008 not only did my nephew die of it but there was a story every week about someone else od'ing from it in Washington State.

Go to www.samafoundation.org and learn more about our youth and drug addiction. This foundation was started in Washington State, but we need this type of foundation in every state. We need to start changing laws giving parents their rights back so we can get help for our kids. Right now a treatment center releases teens under the age of 18 if the teen wants to be released, the parent has no say so. We need to change this law, parents need to be able to help their kids without having these laws working against them. They also need to get laws so parents can help their over 18 youths but the way the law is now if your 18 then your responsible for yourself, if they are drugged up how can they be responsible for themselves. We need to be able to get them help and at this time we can't unless they go themselves and most of them have such a hard time the first week or two in the treatment center that they leave and are back on the drug as soon as they walk out of the center. If we were able to keep them in the center maybe we could get them off of this stuff!

[toldyouso21]

"When we found her she was already gone," said Natalie's mother Doreen Ciappa. "She wasn't breathing. We heard her last breath"

How can you "hear someone's last breath" if they are already gone and were not breathing? Dohhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

[incog-nito]

Is that all you got out of this article?

[TrakerJon]

Is there any wonder that this is the case? Poppy cultivation for heroin production in Afganistan has tripled since coalition forces have been there. How do you think it makes it to this country? I dare say South and Latin American sources are nothing compared to the connections in Afganistan and Pakistan. DEA agents were killed last week when they got to close to the source, one agency cancelling out another (just like in Mexico when they got to close to the crack cocaine connection in Los Angeles years ago).

[winslowe1]

At least the second part of the headline is refreshing news.

[armyoftwelve]

"Casual drug users should be taken out and shot..."
----Daryl Gates

Amen to that. No one has the right to engage in such narcissism, doesn't matter if it's pot or heroin or binge drinking.

[formrusmcsgt]

Man has chosen to "alter his state" for millenia.

Prehistoric indians chewed khat and coca leaves before fermentation was discovered.

For dogma drones, any kind of alteration of one's state is abhorrent.

For the rest of us, as long as one is not endangering himself or others, it's their own business what they do.

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

Dogman is also a form of Altered states,
Dopamine release all the same.

[prov1624]

again teens in the news??? lets protect their "freedoms" to run wild...no one wants to guide or parent the child they have to go through the "system to get guidence, from a cell".... no bibles pls in our schools, no prayer, no hope... then we wonder why they are stealing from the (celebrities), raping (richardson hs), killing babies (babysitter), etc... they have grown up without any moral values... they don't know, and this is just the beginning....do we need more debates about why we don't need faith in our schools, or government, etc...the violent video games teaches them these things like the killers from 9/11 watching the instructional video flying over the white house and these were old graphics, imagine what they can see now....

[Rohanite]

Amen to that. Teens are not adults yet - they need guidance, and from what I've seen, the government is about the worst entity out there to provide it to them. Parents need to set the example themselves, and be involved in their kids' lives all the way through, and not use public school as a moral babysitter.

[formrusmcsgt]

Anything to keep kids off marijuana......

[mecanik-2009]

You know, I've never considered the cost of drugs as a factor in determining my decision to not do drugs. It's not like when you go into Walmart and say to yourself. Lets see, whats on sale today. The Heroin special or something on the Meth menu. Oh looky there. Weed is on sale for $9.50 a bag. No, I don't think it's quite like that. If Cocain was free and available everywhere I wouldn't use it. I don't drink rat poison either. Because it's all the same thing.

[toldyouso21]

I agree. I was raised to believe that illegal drug use was for the weak and ignorant among us.

[AttentionDeficit]

mecanik: you believe smoking pot and drinking rat poison are the same?

toldyouso21: illegal drug use is for the weak and ignorant, but not legal drug use?

[AttentionDeficit]

toldyouso21: illegal drug use is for the weak and ignorant, but not legal drug use? do you see a drunk and say "wow, what a strong willed and intelligent person"?

[ianlou]

by toldyouso21 October 30, 2009 12:22 AM EDT
I agree. I was raised to believe that illegal drug use was for the weak and ignorant among us.


Absolutly!!!

After all, Religion and Television are the only wholesome Paniccia of the masses.

[DaVicar8]

by toldyouso21 "I was raised to believe that illegal drug use was for the weak and ignorant among us."


AMEN!!!
My Dad told me not to use drugs, and that was good enough for me!

[Rohanite]

We're all weak and ignorant in our own ways. I haven't done drugs, but that doesn't mean I'm a better person than those who have. I'm just very grateful that I have avoided developing a dependence on drugs, legal or illegal, and I hope others will avoid that kind of slavery as well.

[mecanik-2009]

I believe that ANY mind altering drug used for recreational reasons is wrong. I have never used marijuana or any drug not prescribed by a doctor so I don't what the effects are but if it alters your mental state then a doctor better be prescribing it for a reason.