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I found drug paraphenalia in my son's room.  There were two needles, some spoons that were discolored on the bottom from being held over a flame, two pieces of a plastic drinking straw about 3 inches long, and several very tiny, empty plastic bags (less than an inch square) printed with clubs like the clubs on playing cards.  From this information, can you give me an idea what he is using?

Posted: 09/26/2016 3:31 PM

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Heroin.

The heroin comes in 'twists' or 'stamp bags'. Twists are plastic, and look like the corner of a baggie.  Stamp bags are about the size of a stamp and are often plastic or wax paper, and are usually stamped with some kind of stamp-pad mark or tatoo looking design, or words, such as 'last call', or 'red devil', or some other name for that batch of heroin.  The heroin comes in a powder form, or a clump. It can be snorted through the short straw, or injected. To inject the heroin, the powder or clump is placed in the spoon and heated using a lighter, until it becomes liquid, then put into the needle and injected.

I am very sorry to tell you this.  It is heart breaking to know that yet another parent is going through this. I have been exactly where you are, and it is very difficult.

Remember these words:  You did not cause this, You cannot control it, and you cannot cure it.

From here, learn everything you can about the disease of addiction.  It IS a disease.  It is the disease of addiction, not the disease of addiction to (fill in the blank).

If your son is injecting, he is not experimenting. He is actively abusing opiates, and it is possible that he has developed a chemical addiction to opiates (heroin is an opiate).

Your son needs treatment ASAP.  If your insurance does not cover it, Medicaid does. He should apply for Medicaid ASAP, if he is uninsured.

I have been told by professionals that Treatment works best if it is long term, with a combination of detox, rehab, half way house ( a medical step down program), and IOP, and possibly then a halfway house.

I am not a professional;I am a mother of a child with the disease of addiction. I understand what you are going through.

Posted: 09/29/2016 9:12 PM

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