The Opioids Epidemic: How I Became a Heroin Addict

Gr 7 Up—Teens share war stories involving drugs, often explaining exactly what they've been through. They're the fortunate ones, when compared to the 10,500 people who fatally overdosed on heroin in 2015. Even so, as one young woman observes, the emotional and physical memories of the high remain scarily vivid, even years later, reinforcing the necessity for daily vigilance in recovery. Graphics of brain function and statistics are blended with comments by experts who point out the main reason why teens turn to heroin so often—a prescription pill habit can quickly escalate upward of $1,500 a month, while a bag of heroin is as cheap as three dollars. The recovering teens do a great job of describing how addiction quickly erodes that "I'd never do hard drugs" mentality when severe withdrawal sets in. As one spokesperson states, "Addiction drives people to step out of character." While it might not change the minds of teens already in the grip of addiction, the program may have an impact on their friends and those who are in the early stages of abusing pain medications.