Experts say that heroin is more easily accessible to teens than cigarettes or alcohol

Law enforcement officials reveal that there is a growing heroin problem among children and teens in Stanwood, Washington, reports Northwest Cable News.

Over 40 teens between the ages of 15 and 17 received treatment or were admitted to the local hospital for addiction to the drug. The reason for the increase, experts say, is because the depressant drug is easily accessible and cheap to teens.

Furthermore, experts have seen a recent shift from prescription drugs to heroin, due in large part to the stricter guidelines that the FDA recently introduced concerning medications like OxyContin. The federal agency has made the pill more difficult to crush, which they said they hope will deter people from abusing the medication.

Drugfree.org indicates that the long-term effects of using heroin include pulmonary complications, liver disease and abscesses. Furthermore, chronic users may develop collapsed veins.

Programs for troubled teens can help show children and adolescents the negative effects of drug use through recreational activities designed to promote a robust lifestyle.

According to a 2006 study by the National Drug Control Policy, an estimated 8 percent of the drug and alcohol admissions at treatment facilities in the U.S. involved teens aged 17 years and younger.