Part One in a series about heroin and its impact on the community.

Heroin use is on the rise, even right here in Clarkston.
‘It’s more of a problem in Clarkston than Clarkston knows,” said Dr. Michael Brooks, psychiatrist at Brighton Center for Recovery, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.
‘We are seeing quite a bit of heroin use in the area,” said Detective Genefer Harvey, Oakland County Sheriff’s Independence Township substation. ‘There are plenty of drugs to get here, and prostitution occurs right here, too. Prostitution is Clarkston may not be like in Pontiac or Detroit where girls stand on the street corner, but it is happening here.”
Harvey said heroin is not common at the high school, but it’s that age group where problems begin, often with stealing prescription medication from family.
‘We have not had a lot of problems with it in the high school. It seems to happen more so with ages 18-years-old and up,”Harvey said. ‘Eventually they can’t get enough of a high with prescription drugs so they go to heroin.”
Addiction to the powerful drug hijacks the brain, and how they will obtain the drug rules their existence. They will do anything and everything to get the drug – girls will even sell their bodies, she said.
‘You see girls begin to prostitute just to get the drug. With many of the girls I have talked to, prostitution starts at the drug dealer’s house when they don’t have the money to buy the drug,” Harvey said.
Many times they have a boyfriend who is also addicted so they get him drugs, too.
‘I was talking to a young girl in Clarkston about a theft we believed she was involved in. I asked her how many times have you had sex for drugs, how many times have you been raped in a drug house, how many times have you had sex to get your boyfriend drugs,? she said.
Girls will usually start crying when asked these questions before opening up to tell their stories. The problem may not be that noticeable in schools, but drugs are in the schools, the detective said.
‘Schools are in denial,” added Lieutenant Dirk Feneley, Oakland County Sheriff Independence substation commander.
“We had a father call us and ask for help because his child was doing drugs. We also have parents call for advice about their teen’s friend using drugs and in need of help,” said Tonya Cunningham from Clarkston Coalition for Youth.
Addicts are getting younger ? children ages 12-14 are using drugs, too, Harvey said.
‘We usually run into them when they get high and act out or become suicidal. Then, the police get called,” she said.
It’s a difficult problem to counter, Cunninham said.
“Even if parents tell us their child or another student is involved in drugs at that point to us it’s just rumor. Certain students may be using or selling drugs, but our police liason and school officials cannot do much unless they catch them,? she added. “It may be that it’s not a problem on the Clarkston High School premises, but students go home and do drugs.?
‘Somehow we have to break the stereotype and our cultural thoughts in regards to drug use,? said Oakland County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Ljubisa Dragovic. ‘We need groups, the governments, schools, police and everyone to help people before they end up on my table.We have a social responsibility to work together on this problem. All of our community groups and resources need to be one one page to help fight this problem. We need to mobilizing all resources and get on one page. This treatment needs to include state and local forces.?
Over 52 million Americans ages 12-years-old and older have used prescription drugs, including opiate painkillers. Teens and pre-teens ages 12- to 17-years old abuse prescription drugs more than any other drug, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
A change in prescription drug laws has made getting pills more expensive. Heroin is easier to get and it’s cheaper than taking pills.
‘The really sad part is parents and family members are unknowingly supplying teens with drugs from their medication supply,? Cunningham said.
Next, Drug Enforcement Agency officers, county coroner, and local doctors weigh in on the problem.