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The former high school basketball legend who earned a spot in the NBA only to see his career crash and burn because of drug addiction will be talking at Arlington High School in LaGrangeville at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16.
After Herren’s presentation, mental health professionals, addiction recovery agencies, law enforcement representatives and others will be available to discuss available mental health and addiction-related resources.
Herren grew up in Fall River, Mass., where he scored over 2,000 career points and was named to the 1994 McDonald's All-American team.
Drug free since 2008, Herren first started abusing alcohol then graduated to cocaine and OxyContin and, finally, to heroin.
He eventually was able to refocus his life by putting his sobriety and family above all else.
He details his recovery in his memoir, “Basketball Junkie.”
Heroin use and overdose deaths have dramatically increased over the last decade.
This increase, studies say, is related to the growing number of people misusing prescription opioid pain relievers such as OxyContin and Vicodin.
Many who become addicted to those drugs switch to heroin because it produces similar effects but is cheaper and easier to get, studies say.
According to a 2014 study published by JAMA Psychiatry, over the past 50 years heroin use has changed from an inner city, minority-centered problem to one involving primarily white, suburban men and women in their 20s.
Herren’s talk is free and appropriate for adults, as well as middle and high school students.
Arlington High School is located at 1157 Route 55, LaGrangeville.
For more information about Chris Herren, click here.
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