(KSDK) St. Louis --It's the other dependency in the fight against the increase in heroin usage: Co-dependency.
Counselors at a heroin seminar Saturday say parents need to check their enabling behaviors.
Travis Mitchell is a recovering heroin addict and Executive Director of COLA, or Circle of Light Associates. COLA organizers held an informational seminar for parents in their church near Halls Ferry and Annetta.
"Since I am a recovering heroin addict," said Mitchell, "I thought I could use my expertise to enlighten parents about what to look for in their children when it comes to heroin usage."
He itemized the warning signs.
"Constantly sleeping, isolation, a new set of friends, they don't want you to know their friends, scratching, mood changes."
Mitchell said excessive scratching could come from needle tracks, if a person is injecting heroin. And Mitchell said heroin users are getting younger and younger.
"It's actually in our middle schools," he said. "It used to be in our high schools. That is what is so frightening, because you have kids that are 11-12-13 that are curious, and are experimenting with heroin."
Mitchell said parental enabling is a major reason why some children overdose on heroin.
"Now the parents have good intentions," he said. "However, those good intentions can be abused. And when the children know they can get what they want out of their parents, without any consequences or question, there's a problem."
Mitchell said when he was using heroin, its purity was twelve-seventeen percent. These days, Mitchell said the purity of heroin is more like sixty-ninety percent.
"And, they're cutting it, mixing it, with other drugs," said Mitchell. "And that makes it stronger."
Circle of Light Associates has a website. For more information, go to circleoflightassociate.com.
You can also call them at 314-381-4225.
KSDK