B e a H e r o - I n D u Pa g e
Heroin Prevention Campaign
Sponsored by DuPage Coalition to Prevent Heroin
What if these people
were still alive?
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
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Cory Monteith - Glee
Chris Farley – Saturday Night Live
Mitch Hedberg – comedian
Brad Renfro – The Client, Tom and Huck
Jim Morrison – The Doors
Kurt Cobain – Nirvana
Amy Winehouse – singer-songwriter
What is h e ro in ?
Heroin comes from
poppies
Harvesters cut the pod and juice seeps out. The sap has a high
content of morphine, which creates heroin.
How is heroin used?
 Smoked, injected, snorted, ingested or
sniffed.
 Addiction will occur with any of these
methods.
Why do people use
heroin?
 Need another high after running out of
prescription painkillers like Vicodin and
Oxycontin
 “It felt so good.”* But this is only the first
time. After that, you are addicted and just
using to stop the withdrawal effects.
 Genetically vulnerable (addict in the family)
Why do people use
heroin? (continued)
 Lack of knowledge, they think it’s “no big
deal”
 Use of other drugs can lead to heroin
 Cheaper than cigarettes and prescription
pain killers
 Increased purity (35% in 2010 vs. 4% in
1980’s) allows users to snort or smoke it,
which is less scary than injecting
Prescription Drug
Abuse
 Using prescription painkillers like Vicodin
and Oxycontin can lead to addiction. When
the pills run out, the person may turn to
stealing pills from family members. Then
they may turn to buying heroin because it is
cheaper for the beginning user than black
market painkillers.
How does heroin
hurt your body?
Be a hero….protect yourself!
Short-term Effects
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Severe flu symptoms, then
alternately alert and drowsy
state
• Slowed and slurred speech
• Impaired night vision
L o n g - Te r m E f f e c t s
Addiction
“Every heroin addict that you talk to will tell you
that the first high was the greatest, and then
they spend the rest of their life trying to chase
that one great high. And then eventually it
devolves into being all they’re doing is taking
the drugs to keep from being sick.”
– DuPage County Coroner
Dr. Richard Jorgensen
L o n g - Te r m P h y s i c a l
Consequences
 Death
 Bad teeth,
inflammation of
 Permanent
damage to lungs, the gums
liver, kidneys and  Coma
brain
 Muscular
 HIV/AIDS
weakness,
partial paralysis
L o n g - Te r m P h y s i c a l
Consequences
 Reduced
sexual
capacity and
long-term
impotence in
men
 Menstrual
disturbance in
women
 Loss of memory
and intellectual
performance
 Blister-like
lesions on the
face
 Constant runny
nose
Addiction Comparison
 Heroin is one of the most
addictive substances on
the planet!
 It is more addictive than
tobacco, cocaine and
most other drugs.
Heroin Slang Names
Brown sugar
Junk
Horse
Big
H
Muc
Dope
How can I tell if my
friend is using?
 Major changes in attitude and behavior – moody,
angry, lying
 Ditching school
 MIA
 Dark pupils
 Falling asleep in class
 Stealing, pawning personal items
Signs of a heroin
overdose
•
•
•
•
Slow breathing
Blue lips and fingernails
Cold clammy skin
Shaking
At a party and see someone has overdosed?
Call 911! Otherwise, your friend could die.
The “Good Samaritan Law,” Illinois Public Act
097-0678, went into effect June 1, 2012.
Be a hero…protect your friends!
Suspect your friend is
using heroin?
 Tell a trusted adult – your parents,
a teacher, a coach, a counselor or
faith-based connection – so your
friend can get help.
Be a hero…Save a life!
Be a hero, report a
drug dealer!
Report directly to your
School Resource Officer.
The Good News –
y o u ’r e n o t a l o n e !
 89% of high school students in a national
2012 study said they disapprove of peers
using heroin.
Be a hero…protect your peers!
Why does this matter?
Your choices
affect others.
You’re not
alone.
Parents
Teammates
Friends
You
Classmates
Church
group
Other loved
ones
Teachers
Be a hero…
believe in yourself!
Respect others!
What could I miss out on?
Changing the
world
Family &
Relationships
Education
Other fun
stuff
Falling in love
Going to college,
trade school,
cosmetology
school
Traveling the
world
Teaching
Spending time
with family and
starting your own
someday
Your career
Playing sports
Serving your
country in the
military
Having great
friends
Learning another
language
Shopping
Being a positive
role model
Seeing your
brother or sister
trip at graduation
Learning a musical
instrument
Video games, Vine
and YouTube
videos
Peace Corps or
Red Cross
Be a hero…respect yourself!
Where to go for help
360 Youth Services, Naperville
www.thepowerofchoice.info
Robert Crown Center for Health, Hinsdale
www.heroin.robertcrown.org/HeroinEducation/index.html
ParentsMatter, Naperville
www.parentsmattertoo.org
Linden Oaks Behavior Health Hospital at Edward, Naperville
www.edward.org/addictionservices
Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield
www.cdh.org/Medical-Services/Services-A-Z/Behavioral-Health/Adolescent-Services.aspx
Rosecrance Health Network, Naperville
www.rosecrance.org/facilities/substance-abuse-treatment-facilities
Presence Behavioral Health, Downers Grove
www.reshealth.org/sub_addiction/locations/downers_grove.cfm