Dr Oz: Heroin Epidemic + Losing Loved Ones To Addiction

Dr Oz: Mom Posted Picture In Front Of Open Casket

Dr Oz began his show by sharing a picture that shocked people across the country. Eva Holland’s longtime partner and father of her two children died just two weeks ago from a heroin overdose. She posted a picture of herself and her two children smiling in front of his open casket to highlight that addiction can happen to anyone. Eva joined Dr Oz on his show to talk about why she felt the need to post the picture.

Dr Oz: Speaking Out About Heroin Addiction

Eva Holland sat down with Dr Oz and explained that her kids are doing a lot better than she is. She said she’s struggling with it, but putting it out there and getting support is helping her a lot. Dr Oz said he struggled with the picture and Eva explained that the reason she took it in the first place was because it was their last picture together as a family. She said her kids were in the picture because she had no intention of posting it. But once she saw it, it was heartbreaking for her and, as she said in her picture, it’s the harsh reality of addiction.

Eva then read her Facebook post out loud. “No parent should ever have to bury their child and no child as young as our’s should have to bury their parent. This was preventable. It didn’t have to happen. But hiding the facts is only going to keep this epidemic going. The cold hard truth is that heroin kills.”

Dr Oz: How A Father Became Addicted To Heroin

Eva shared that she had been with Michael since high school, for eleven years to be exact. When she got pregnant, he got a really good job and it was there that people were taking pain pills. He got caught up with them and was on pain pills for a long time until they became too expensive. According to Eva, he then found the wrong crowd of people that introduced him to heroin. He went to get help at the end of 2014, and got out right before Christmas. She said he was dong so good, but then early in 2015 he got a toothache and wanted to take a pain pill for it. That triggered his addiction and he was back to needing it every day.

Dr Oz: Heroin Epidemic

Dr Oz then shared a story of what’s happening in your hometown, because of the heroin epidemic. Washington County, Pennsylvania is in the middle of a heroin epidemic with more than 50 fatal overdoses in 2015 alone. The statistics show that between 2009 and 2014, heroin use jumped by more than 75%. Between 2002 and 2013, heroin related deaths have quadrupled. More and more states are declaring the heroin epidemic a state of emergency.

Dr Oz: Losing Lives To Heroin

Three women shared how heroin addiction hit their own families, with all three of them having lost a son to their addictions. Bergen County, New Jersey, which is where Dr Oz lives, is also being hit hard by the epidemic, with 42 heroin deaths reported in 2014. “Wake up, it can happen to you,” one of the moms said.

Dr Oz: A Daughter Lost To Heroin Addiction

Dr Oz then showed a picture of a beautiful 18-year-old named Alison. Alison’s obituary revealed that she died of a heroin overdose, and it only happened 24 days ago. Alison’s parents joined Dr Oz to talk about their daughter. Alison’s mom explained that they thought maybe if they actually said something about the epidemic, someone may hear it and maybe another child would live. Alison’s dad is a police detective, but even he didn’t know what was going on in his daughter’s life.

Alison only had one needle mark, which means that was the fatal needle mark. Alison’s mom further pushed the point that it can happen to you, and it can happen to anyone, which is why we need to stop it. Right now, there are 500,000 people addicted to heroin right now, which means we have to do something to start getting control over the crisis.

Has heroin addiction hit close to home for you? Have you personally been affected by heroin addiction or a lost loved one because of heroin? What do you think should be done about the epidemic?