JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- Earlier this week, authorities told us heroin is a growing problem in mid-Missouri and Cole County Sheriff Greg White said heroin is the current drug of choice.
But some area parents told us it's a bigger problem than most realize and a mom and dad are speaking out about how the drug has torn their family apart
The parents are parents of a Jefferson City heroin addict and they want to keep their identity hidden.
"At 17 years old, it is so easy to get it in Jefferson City," the mom said.
“It has torn the family apart financially, emotionally, and you always just look and hope that there will be a better day," the dad said.
Their son has been to rehab multiple times over the past three years, costing the family close to $150,000.
But the emotional price is much higher.
"When one's addicted, your whole life centers around that one person and the other children in that family are just kind of neglected," the dad said.
"It's been really hard. My son's addiction has cost so much time and effort in our family, we have kind of forgotten about our 12-year-old daughter," the mom said.
They said heroin is easy for our youth to get and it's running rampant in the capitol city.
They told us, all it takes is a message on Facebook or text and within minutes they could have the highly addictive drug in their hands.
"The dealers in town will come out and shoot up your sons for you or daughter," the dad said.
Parents of addicts are left worrying.
"Who's the next person that's going to deal to my son,” the mom questions. “Is it going to be a 30-year-old? Is it going to be a rapist? Is it going to be a friend that he thinks is a friend but he's not a friend because a friend would not give another friend a drug? There are nights that we stay up all night long and worry and then there's days or times when he'll disappear, just walk out. And because he's 17, he's not a child anymore. He's treated as an adult.”
Even with three stints in rehab, they don't think his heroin addiction is over...
"Sometimes they've gotta hit rock bottom and I just don't think our son at this particular time in his life has hit rock bottom," the dad said.
Ultimately the two worried parents powerless against the almighty heroin.
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