Heroin use rising in one Washington State county

Law enforcement officers in Whatcom County, Washington are seeing an increase in opiate use among teens and young adults, reports The Western Front.

Officers told the news source that the area experiences cycles with different drugs and heroin has recently grow in popularity among high school- and college-aged individuals. According to a 2009 Whatcom County Health Department study, about 53 percent of opiate addicts who were admitted into treatment were between the ages of 18 and 29.

Health officials say that heroin can be injected, snorted or smoked. However, they found that injections are most commonly found in the college age group. They added that younger users have the misconception that snorting heroin will not lead to addiction.

Teen boarding schools can help promote a healthy environment for children to make positive life choices and enable them to achieve academic and behavioral success.

According to a 2009 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 1 out of 100 students in grade 12 use an opiate, such as heroin, at some point.