Laura Hope Laws, 17, Morphine and Cocaine

Laura was known for helping people in a time of need. It didn’t matter if it was an old friend, family member, or a new acquaintance that she just met. Laura always asked people how they were doing and would lend an ear to those having trouble. As an active member in her Atlanta church’s youth group, she loved participating in mission trips. By all accounts, Laura was very helpful and kind to many people. But she couldn’t help herself. Laura was addicted to heroin. Even though heroin wasn’t the drug that killed her, Laura’s struggle with drugs and addiction eventually would take her life. Laura was 17 years old when she overdosed and died using alcohol, morphine, and cocaine.

At 13, Laura experimented with alcohol and marijuana. At 14, she was selected to play on the varsity soccer team as a freshman. However, Laura became addicted to powerful painkiller opiates prescribed to her after an injury for a broken jaw she got playing soccer. Laura found relief by using these prescription pain relievers. When her doctor stopped prescribing them, she looked for the pills elsewhere by raiding the family medicine cabinet for any pills to get high. Laura eventually turned to a cheaper and more available drug, heroin.

Laura reached out to her family for help. Her parents enrolled her in an intensive outpatient treatment program. At first, Laura seemed better. She played in the annual high school powder puff football game and scored the only touchdown for the senior class. Laura had senior pictures taken and tried to live a normal teen’s life in her final year of high school. But the drugs were stronger than she was, and she would relapse and start taking heroin again.