SALINAS, Calif - Last year, Central Coast News told you about the spike in heroin use, with local recovery centers reporting a big spike in heroin abuse. Today, we checked to see if it was still an upward trend. And we found out, yes, the addiction is still around, and what's worse is the numbers of heroin addicts are actually increasing at rehab centers. And these addicts are younger adults trying to find a cheaper high.
"It's really becoming an epidemic problem. Seemingly all from changing the oxycotin formulation didn't make the opiate problem go away. It just created a new problem in the kids looking for something available and its cheaper," said Lee Goldman, last year.
Goldman is medical director for the Community Hospital Recovery Center. And today, it doesn't seem like this epidemic is going away.
"It's good news and bad news. The good news is they are seeking treatment earlier at a younger age. The bad news is they are becoming addicts young," said Robin McCrae, Executive Director for Community Health Services.
The "they" Robin is referring to are people between the ages of 18 and 25. In November we told you the Beacon House in Pacific Grove said 80 to 90 percent of the young people they treated had an opiate addiction.
This year, Robin McCrae said there's been at least a 30% increase of young adults with heroin addiction at the Genesis House.
Some of the blame is placed on oxycotin because drug companies that make the powerful pain killer changed the formula, simply because too many people were abusing the drug. Leading kids to something available and cheaper, heroin.
Police said this addiction is mirrored on the streets. "We are starting to see usage by some of the younger generations, the party crowd, what we are finding is they seem to have discovered heroin and brought it back into popularity," said Dan Perez, Salinas Police.
And it's an addiction that doesn't discriminate. Addicts coming to Genesis House for help aren't uniformed by class, race or economic stature.
"I think families and parents need to be aware, and open to the idea that addictions crosses barriers," said Robin.
