Heroin is here, already cited in deaths, problems Nov. 13, 2009 A surge in the use of a highly addictive and often, quite deadly drug has the Antigo Police Department on high alert.
It’s called heroin and its use and subsequent destruction is escalating at a quick pace.
Over the past several months, law enforcement officials have investigated close to a dozen overdoses of the drug — five of those with fatal consequences.
“Though heroin is not completely new to our area, its deadly and damaging effects are rapidly spreading faster and on a larger scale than we have ever seen in this area,” Antigo police officer Jason Just said.
Many may recall it as among the worst of the 1970s drug craze, seemingly far more dangerous than a casual fling with a marijuana joint and boasting of a “big city” reputation, far from the grips of small-town America.
It’s perilous status remains but its ties have stretched and Antigo residents have been among its victims.
As one of the local officers immersed in trying to catch those selling heroin and stop others from using, Just explained that on average the Antigo Police Department makes over 100 drug-related arrests per year. For 2009 alone, 31 percent of those involved the sale of heroin. Over the past decade, that number registered at zero.
“That is staggering,” Just said.
Of modest background, heroin is an opiate drug that is synthesized from morphine, a natural occurring substance extracted from the seed of the Asian poppy plant.
The drug’s problems lie in its terribly nasty side-effects — severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea to name a few — and its extremely addictive nature. Its quick and habit-forming cravings make it nearly impossible to exist as a “one-time user” and according to police Chief Eric Roller, the department’s mission is one of both awareness and education.
“It is here and it is a problem,” he said.
“Luckily for now, we’ve had the same group of individuals mixed up in this and we’re hoping to keep it from escalating,” Roller added.
Statistics suggest that thousands upon thousands of pounds of heroin illegally make it into the United States each year, commonly from areas south of the border including Mexico or Columbia. During its journey north, the quantities are typically reduced into smaller amounts for personal sales.
Bindles are the most common form sold, and seized, here. Concealed in carefully folded strips of paper or foil, they equate to approximately one-tenth of a gram of heroin.
“It doesn’t sound like a lot but just one or two bindles is and has been enough to cause death,” Just said. “The problem that people run into is that because heroin is passed through so many different people on its way to the northern states it has been ‘cut’ which means that other ingredients have been added to increase its quantity to maximize profit.”
It’s a dangerous avenue. As the ingredients are never really known, the extreme variance in purity is what often leads to an overdose.
“Someone that bought and used two bindles of heroin one day without problems may buy and use two more the next. The heroin may look the same but a dosage may not contain as many cutting agents and is more pure, resulting in overdose,” Just explained. “If medical aid is not rendered quickly, that person will most likely die.”
The preferred method of ingestion is just as problematic. Although it can be snorted, injection is usually the more popular choice.
Shared needles can increase the spread of HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C, the latter an area where the Langlade County Health Department saw an increase this year.
As users are typically not the most socially conscious, careless dumping also puts others at risk.
Law enforcement officers advise it is not unusual to spot syringes scattered throughout automobiles and homes, increasing the chance of an accidental poking. On many occasions, those needles are also easily accessible to children.
“It is very unfortunate, but we have seen this in several homes throughout the year,” Just said. He explained that in such occasions, the Department of Social Services is immediately contacted to ensure the safety of the child.
Authorities explain the drug’s recent re-emergence as the result of simple supply and demand.
In past years, law enforcement and medical staffs have worked to combat the abuse of prescription medication — and with success. With more eyes watching, the task to illegally buy and sell pills has become more difficult. As supplies decrease demand grows, driving up prices on the street.
Producing an effect similar to that of the prescription pain-killer morphine, heroin often becomes the drug of choice.
“Heroin is a very potent and dangerous drug. Its appeal is that you need far less of it to obtain the “high” experienced by abusing prescription drugs,” Just said.
Varying geographically, prices typically range between $35 and $50 per bindle, even less in larger cities, increasing its attraction.
Local officials stress that they will continue to work to combat heroin’s use and sale and emphasize that it as an issue that can no longer be listed solely as a “big city” problem.
“It affects everything. The way people feel, the things they do, the environment they’re in,” Roller said. “It’s here and if you take it, it can ruin your life.”
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