Persuasive Speech on Heroin

According to ann arbor news paper, washtinaw county has had an 80 percent increase in heroin-related arrests and a 375 percent increase in heroin sales/manufacturing offenses over three years. Michigan death certificate files show that overdose deaths involving only heroin rose about 186% from 2007 to 2009.

Law orricials say one dose bags can cost $5 to $10 dollars, its cheaper then oxycontin or hydrocodone and is easily accessible to teenagers. Teens addicted to pills like oxycontin can find similar high in heroin. The National Drug intelligence center says "Unlike a generation ago, when street drugs were less than 10% pure- today's version can be upwards of 70% pure.Teenagers are snorting it, smoking it in joints, and getting hooked faster, and overdosing more"

Why do people like to do heroin? They enjoy the high. Drug-rehab.com describes heroin high's to have a powerful sense of well being, a sleepy drowsy sedation, nodding an awake but dreamlike state, a feeling of warmth, and slowed breathing. But in the long run you can have organ damage, malnutrition, track marks, collapsed viens, skin infections, and more. Even short term amount of time it will effect you from mental confusion/slured speech to decreased breathing and heart rate.

I've personally lost 6 friends to heroin and i've seen others struggle through the addiction. I want to prevent other families and students from seeing this happen to people they love. So what can we do? We need to educate the parents and family's, by telling them how to talk to their child and educate them beyond what they teach in school. They need to know what signs to look for; thecyn.com says to look for Alternating between sleepiness and alertness, Shallow breathing, Injection sites and/or infections, Nausea and/or vomiting, Small pupils, A “lost” appearance in the eyes, Little motivation, Spending time with a different social circle, Disorientation, Difficulty speaking, Poor memory, Acting as though extremities are...