Family shares story on 'Intervention' as officials warn of heroin epidemic in Snohomish County



MARYSVILLE, Wash. -- Officials in Snohomish County say meth and heroin problems use has become an epidemic there.

Now, a mother and daughter are sharing their struggle to beat the odds.

"This is where a lot of the drug activity takes place honestly," said Carrie Enyeart who is recovering from heroin addictin. "I've walked over this bridge I don't know how many times to get drugs."

Every single day Carrie must make a choice.

"I was a homeless heroin addict for like two years," she said.

One wrong decision and the Marysville native could end up right back on the streets she called home at just 18-years-old -- stealing from local stores to feed a drug habit.

"I said I would never ever try heroin and it was kind of a peer pressure thing," said Carrie. "Next thing i know I'm using everyday."

"This story is the story of a lot of other people, a lot of people are going through this right now," said Carrie's mother Lisa Martin. "I'm just one of many mothers who are experiencing it, and she's just one of many kids who has been out on the street and suffered through addiction."

Desperate to help her daughter, Lisa reached out to producers at A&E's Intervention, a TV program that helps addicts get clean.

After participating in the show, Carrie went into treatment in April, and relapsed in July.

Pat Slack of the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force says meth and heroin use are at epidemic levels and there just are not enough treatment programs to handle the growing problem in Snohomish County.

"You might not be happy about it and it might not be a comfortable conversation," Slack said. "Too damn bad -- have the conversation or you might not ever get the chance."

The Health District found twice as many people died from heroin overdoses in Snohomish County between 2011 and 2013 than anywhere else in the state.

"The chances of them overdosing potentially before they even have the opportunity to get into treatment are pretty high," said Lindsey Greinke of Hope Soldiers.

Carrie wants to change that, so each day she faces her demons, shares her story and makes a choice.

"It's really hard, and it was really hard, and now this is just the life I have to live," said Carrie.

She hopes that other teens sleeping on the streets will realize they have a choice too.

"As a parent we are the only ones that are going to advocate for our children, and you just can never ever give up on them no matter how bad it hurts," she said.

Carrie has been home for two weeks now and is 46 days sober. She is working to find employment and hopes one day to start a foundation for teen struggling with addiction.

Watch a clip from the show (WARNING: Content not appropriate for all audiences):