Heroin has been a growing struggle among teens and young adults in Ventura County. According to CNN and Fox News, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is calling this uprising an “urgent and growing public health crisis.”

After the overdose of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and other rapid increases of heroin use, many cities in the United States are taking action against this “epidemic” and raising awareness about the dangers of heroin.

Deputy Chief, John McGinty, of Simi Valley Police Department explained that young adults don’t just wake up one day and decide, “I think I’m going to try heroin today,” it’s much more complex than that.

There is usually a pattern for the way these drugs are carried out. An individual begins with drinking alcohol in middle school, then going on to try marijuana at a party. By the time they reach high school, they are taking pills and soon after, the pills are harder to obtain and extremely expensive. This causes these individuals to try heroin.

Heroin is significantly cheaper than other drugs and a lot easier to get off the streets. On average, there are three males for every one female using heroin, and they are usually between 18 and 31 years old, which is the average age of any typical Moorpark College student.

“The one thing an opiate addict is always doing is chasing a better high,” said McGinty.

Family and friends can be the biggest influence in one’s life. If a young student has a good relationship with family, they may be peer-pressured into drugs by friends. However, the opposite may also be true. If a teenager has a bad relationship with family, that young teen may turn to drugs and alcohol to relieve their depression.

“We saw it coming when we started to see overdose deaths in 2010 through 2011,” said McGinty. “The overdose deaths were increasing at an alarming rate, over a long period of time, which meant it wasn’t a bad batch of heroin–a hot load–it was much more.”

In February 2012, a group of about 400 people showed up at a city council meeting in Simi Valley demanding action against drug crimes and overdose cases regarding heroin. An organization called “Not One More” was founded by two mothers who had lost their children to heroin overdose.

After the meeting, the Simi Valley Police Department took a much more controlling action to solve the heroin epidemic in Ventura County.

Although Moorpark College’s Police Department does not offer any on-campus support groups for these cases, students can still contact the Student Health Center for information about ways to get help. Organizations like Not One More and Heroin Anonymous are also available to help anyone defeat the addiction; and with a strong support group, anything is possible.

Organizations like Not One More and Heroin Anonymous have brought so much attention to the world of heroin and other drugs. Unlike most drugs, heroin can kill the user on their first or their hundredth time using it.

The Not One More Foundation is dedicated to helping current users and individuals who have lost loved ones in the battle against heroin. If you would like to contact Not One More or support groups about heroin, including ways to get clean, please go to notonemore.net.