The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Parents in denial.   Teens and heroin, a deadly combination. Dealers making it easier to smoke, cheaper to purchase, and more potent to be an addict faster.  Heroin is dangerous and deadly and it is a growing concern and trend today. 20/20 ABC News featured an excellent report on this topic.  The New Face of a Heroin Addict, which followed the lives of three average all-American families and their addict. ( Watch segment on sidebar ). Since 2007, the number of heroin users in the U.S. has nearly doubled, and half of all first-time users are younger than 26 years old, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration . This 20/20 ABC News segment should be an episode that every parent with a young teen should stop and watch.  It clearly shows that no one is immune to becoming an addict - especially a heroin addict. Parents that belive their teen is " only smoking pot ," listen to these stories - most start out ...

After speaking with Dr. Drew last week in an insightful call on teens and cough syrup abuse, the conversation turned to the many parents that are in denial or constantly looking to blame others for their child’s behavior. How many times have you blamed your child’s friend or a neighbor for negative behavior of your child? It is not your child, it is the friends he/she is hanging with. Your child would never do drugs, they are too smart for that. Are they? Yes, many are highly intelligent but that doesn’t mean they are immune to drug use. The faster you remove yourself from the “it’s not my child” excuse, the sooner you can work on getting your child the help he/she may need. According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America , one in five teens reports having abused a prescription drug to get high. Teens who learn a lot about the dangers of drugs from their parents are half as likely to abuse drugs. – StopMedicineAbuse . Some red flags parents should be aware of, and not ...