Years ago, heroin was a drug used mostly in the poor inner cities. The users were hardcore addicts who used it intravenously. For many years, with the introduction of new, more attractive mind-altering chemicals, heroin took a back seat in the drug culture.  
Over the last year, I’ve seen heroin become the drug of choice for many young, predominantly white males in the River Parishes.  
When speaking at drug treatment centers, I always ask the new clients what’s their drug of choice. A few weeks ago, four out of 18 young
men admitted that heroin was
their drug. I always ask, “Do you shoot up?” When they say “yes,” I then ask, “Do you like being injected with a needle?” One hundred percent will say they never could stand getting a shot
when they were young.
A few months ago, one young addict said, “Mr. Keller, you don’t understand the heroin user. The ‘high’ begins when you see the needle before you even get injected.”  I couldn’t understand that.  
It’s been said, and I believe it, that drugs are cunning, baffling and powerful. A recent report issued from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration stated that people using heroin have more than doubled in the last few years.
Baton Rouge authorities have reported 11 deaths from heroin overdoses in the first nine months of this year, compared to five cases in 2012.  
In the last two weeks, I was asked to visit three young men in jail. Two of them were addicted to heroin. As a warning to young people who may be experimenting with marijuana, thinking it is harmless, every heroin addict that I’ve met started their destructive journey of drug use with marijuana.        
Evidently, the drug user is never satisfied. The urge to get a “higher high” is never satisfied. If not stopped, it will lead to an earlier grave.  
Last week, one law enforcement official told me that heroin is coming back. I said, “No, it’s back!”
If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-652-8477, or email hkeller@comcast.net.