Pubdate: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 Source: Daily Herald (IL) Copyright: 2001 The Daily Herald Company Contact: http://www.dailyherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/107 Author: Trisha Hawkins Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) WE MUST FIND SOLUTION TO STOP HEROIN'S TOLL I am writing in response to the recent articles written on the addiction to heroin. They have really brought the reality to my eyes. The drug has definitely spread to the suburbs. It will get the most innocent people, the ones you least expect. It really is the saddest thing I have ever witnessed in my life. People are so concerned with things like pot and alcohol that they forget about the big drugs like cocaine and heroin. I have watched my own friend be taken down by the drug. She makes those late-night trips to the city; she has those withdrawals that kill. The girl next door who used to play Barbies and watch cartoons now cares only about getting one more high. Not only does it kill the users, but it kills the people around them, the ones who really care. Every time they snort or shoot up, it kills a part of their family as well. The question isn't why do these kids do it; it is how should we fix this problem? What can we do as a society to help? We can't just push this away or turn our heads the other way. Every time we push or turn, someone will be shooting up and risking his or her life. We can't make the addicts quit; they have to want to stop. We need to provide places for help. We need to make it more known and face the truth. There are programs given throughout elementary and junior high school, but they don't give the "real deal." I have never heard of kids learning about those withdrawals where people can feel like they are going to die, the pain in their bones, or the kicking or the sleepless nights. Maybe they need to focus on that and not make little jokes about kids smoking pot, because it is not a joke at all. These are real human beings we are talking about, not some little cartoon in a book. Something needs to be done. There are people we don't hear about dying every day from heroin overdoses. I know I don't want to see my friend be one of those people. Trisha Hawkins, Arlington Heights - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager