WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and SportsRecovering heroin addict shares her story

"It took my life away from me. It literally took everyday of my life away from me."

24-year-old Katie McGaw is from Mount Horeb. She first started using drugs when she was 12, after being sexually assaulted.

Then, it was pot.

Later in life, about three years ago, McGaw was prescribed prescription medication for an injury. She says after becoming addicted to those painkillers, she turned to heroin. She says it's cheaper - and easier to get - than oxycontin.

McGaw says, "The drugs ruled my life.. they ruled everything I did. What I ate, when I took a shower, what I did during the day. It all had to revolve around if I had a needle full of dope, or if I could get high. If I wasn't high, life sucked."

McGaw isn't alone. Madison Police Department have seen an increase in police-reported heroin overdoses in the past three years. In 2007, there were

Michael Florek, of Tellurian, an organization that helps people with substance abuse, says opiates are the new party drug for adolescents.

Florek says, "No longer is the heroin addict the old streetwise addict.. The new heroin addict is the young, bright suburban kid... who then woke up as a junkie."

Florek says, "Prior to this point, two calls a month from addicts looking for treatment. I now get 15-20 calls a week from families who are desperate for treatment."

Rehab's not cheap, and the waiting list in Madison now runs two months because of the 20-fold increase in the past few years.

It wasn't until McGaw was sentenced to this rehab center, she was able to afford help.

McGaw says, "They need to fund treatment for people instead of paying for probation officers. They need to pay for counselors."

Counselors who led McGaw to be sober now for 43 days, with a future, and a life.. she embraces.

McGaw says, "I've never felt so good.. when I wake up in the morning I go look at the trees and the sky, and I just think how beautiful it is, and how ten years of my life, I didn't even give a crap about any of that."

McGaw would spend $300-dollars a day on her addiction, even going so far as to steal to get money. That's what police say is fueling the latest robberies and thefts in the area.

Police say as they are doing their part to find drug dealers and users, drug prevention also needs to go on at home.

Kids are finding prescription drugs in cabinets - and addiction to those - escalates to heroin use.

For more information for parents, click on some of the links to the left of this story.

For an extended interview with Katie McGaw, click on the video link to the left of this story.