The draw of the suburbs is a no-brainer for most people: good schools, small town values and safe neighborhoods where kids ride bicycles and play outside.
But a recent news report from MSNBC sheds light on a drug problem that's happening in many of those communities across the country: heroin use.
MSNBC's story provides insight into the lives of teens, like Alyssa Dedrick and Chris O'Connor, who grew up in the suburbs of Boston or Chicago with good educations, stable families and tons of extracurriculars.
All that changed when they started using painkillers. They became addicted to Oxycontin and similar drugs, and once those became too expensive, they turned to heroin, a cheaper option that provides the same high—or better.
"With the cost of prescription drugs on the rise and heroin becoming purer and cheaper, the drug that spawns fear in other generations has become more appealing to a younger set," MSNBC writes.
Statistics included in the story suggest that, nationally, "initiations to heroin have increased 80 percent among 12- to 17-year-olds since 2002." Reporter Yardena Schwartz notes that in each of the dozens of interviews conducted for the story, each former heroin addict said they started with prescription drugs.
Patch wants to know: Is this something that's happening across Putnam, Rockland and Westchester? If not, do you think it could be in the future?
The best "feel good" drug is doing something for someone else who needs help.
The best "feel good" drug is doing something for someone else who needs help.