A father overdosed on his son's heroin to show him the reality of drug addiction.

When 23-year-old Son Maykl found his father lying unconscious on the floor of their Brooklyn apartment, he recognised the signs of a heroin overdose.

Having been addicted to the drug since he was 15, Maykl immediately administered CPR and Narcan nasal spray before calling emergency services, something his father has done for him countless times before.

The discovery of his son’s stash drove Sergey Gnatovskiy, 45, to inject himself with the illegal and highly dangerous substance in a desperate attempt to show Son exactly how heroin affects their lives.

“I [tried] to send him to rehab,” Sergey told The Post of his son’s ongoing heroin addiction.

“He promised me he was going to go, and I found it again. I told him if you’re not going to stop, I will do the same as you do.”

Although his extreme actions could have ended his life, Sergey's method seemed to sink in, with Son admitting he "can't do this anymore" and will seek help in a rehabilitation facility.

Figures from the Medical Journal of Australia show there are approximately 268,000 regular and dependent methamphetamine users in Australia, compared to 90,000 five years ago.

Speaking to the ABC of the findings of her study, Dr Sarah Larney said there is cause to be concerned about the increase of heroin users between the ages of 15-24.

"This data suggests that there is a new, young population initiating methamphetamine use and developing regular and dependent use, and the harms associated with that," she said.

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Sergey's desperation to control his son's drug use mirrors the struggles of many Australian parents who would do anything to protect their children from addiction.

"I’ll give you my home, my car, my heart," he told his son after recovering from his overdose. "I don’t want to lose you."

If you or someone you know is dealing with drug addiction, please seek professional help or visit the Alcohol and Drug Foundation website. In the case of an emergency, call 000.