[EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED TO CORRECT INACCURACIES AND CLARIFY THE ORIGINAL REPORT. CLICK HERE TO READ AN UPDATE AND HEAR AN AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH MONMOUTH COUNTY PROSECUTOR CHRIS GRAMICCIONI.]

It's been an epidemic in Ocean County this year, and now it's being called an epidemic in Monmouth County.

Heroin. Ten dollars a pack. Easy for your kids to get a hold of. Addicting and deadly. So...you might want to say 'not my kid' but you will be shocked at the information below:

In the Freehold Regional High School District area alone, 721 people (both students and non-students) have sought professional help for a heroin addiction. In the Manasquan High School area, that number is 164. 37 people have died from a heroin overdose so far this year in Monmouth County. And it's everywhere around these beautiful Jersey Shore towns.

So how are your teens' friends and fellow students getting hooked on heroin? 80 percent begin using with their friends, and then get hooked on it and will hide the addiction and the heroin, using alone...until they overdose.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is starting to hit the schools to tell parents and students what is going on and spread the word. Ocean County Prosecutors are doing the same....even more young people have died there from heroin.

And to make matters even worse, the heroin in our area is stronger than around the rest of the country, making it even more deadly.

Here's what can save your child: Communication. Keep talking about saying NO to drugs. And tell your kids how much you love them. Because of those kids in a recent study who stayed drug free, most said they did so because they did not want to disappoint their parents.

So, next time your kids say they're 'hanging out'......don't assume that everything is okay. Don't say 'it's not my kid.' Keep your eyes and ears open. Get your kids talking. Love them. And please keep them safe the best way you can.

For more information, see the full report on Patch.com.

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