On a big screen at Granite City High School was the face of a mother expressing the worst fears any mom could have.

"It makes you feel hopeless seeing there's nothing you can do," said Sharon Hosford, of Alton, during a video shown during a Feb. 1 forum about drug use. Hosford is the mother of Jesse Outhouse, 29, who was found dead of a heroin overdose on June 13, 2011, in East Alton. The stories about how heroin takes control of users were the subject of two videos shown at the forum, which had about 100 attendees.

The facts shared at the forum were eye-openers to Elizabeth Smith, 15, a sophomore at Granite City High School.

"I don't know absolutely anyone who does heroin," Smith said. But, she added, "There are a lot of people I know that do prescription (drugs)." Experts at the forum said people who abuse prescription drugs often move on to heroin.

Madison County Coroner Stephen Nonn said the number of deaths from heroin use in the county increased from five in 2008 to 26 in 2011.

"We had two cases where it was a first time user that died," Nonn told the crowd. "This is a deadly drug. This is a highly addictive drug."

The police, prosecutors, treatment specialists and others who spoke at the meeting said that heroin today is spreading rapidly because it's highly purified and no longer needs to be injected. It can be snorted, which is more acceptable. A person can become addicted the first or second time it's used.

Heroin, which is available for $10 a dose, is cheaper than prescription drugs, said Drug Enforcement Administration agent Kevin Merkel.

With the rapid increase in heroin addiction has come a big jump in theft, said Madison County state's attorney Tom Gibbons.

"They will steal everything that isn't nailed down," Gibbons said.

"Be aware that heroin is in your high schools and in your middle schools," Gibbons said.

The addictions affect people from all walks of life. Granite City Police Chief Richard Miller said he lost his brother to addiction to prescription medication. Miller said he has no doubt that if his brother was still living, he'd be a heroin addict.

But there is hope, said people working to treat addicts.

"There is hope. People do get better. It isn't hopeless," said Susan Taylor, director of adult substance abuse, Chestnut Health Systems.

Contact reporter Jim Merkel at 618-344-0264, ext. 138