Heroin use has recently been on the rise among high school students and young adults living in Westchester, alarming an abundance of parents and government officials. In the past year alone, nine students have reportedly told high school counselors that they have tried heroin. Student Assistance Services counselors have reason to believe that the number of drug users may go up, based on reports from over 20 schools, says an article from lohud.com.

Throughout the county, heroin use has started to become an epidemic among younger, prepubescent kids. Children as young as 12 years old have been admitted to addiction treatment centers, such as Arms Acres in Carmel, New York. “We’ve had a 14-year-old female using (intravenous) heroin, even a 13-year-old,” said Earl Wiggins, a director at Arms Acres. This facility is a very beneficial aspect of the community where children and teens between the ages of 12 and 18 from all over the New York area, can be treated for substance and alcohol abuse. Even Wiggins, who has worked with a plethora of addicted teens during his career, never could’ve imagined admitting a thirteen-year-old to his facility for heroin dependence.

In addition to the increasing rate of heroin use, students have also reportedly been using other opioids to help cope with stress. Runner-up to heroin in most Westchester towns has been the powerful drug Percocet, which is usually used to alleviate pain after a major surgery. Within the past year there has been over 25 reports of students illegally using Percocet without a prescription in the Lower Hudson Valley area. Other popular opioids among teens living in New York include Oxycodone, and  Suboxone – a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone.

While some towns may not be on the news for opioid problems now, many people believe that politicians and officials in local school districts should brace themselves for the possibility of a major epidemic.