HEROIN USE MAY BE RISING

The number of young people from Somerset County admitted to treatment
programs for abuse of heroin or morphine more than doubled in 2006.

The Somerset County numbers are still relatively low, according to
Kimberly Johnson, director of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse.
Eight people between the ages of 12 and 20 were treated for heroin or
morphine addiction in 2005, which rose to 17 in 2006.

But, Johnson said, the rate of increase is steep. Five were treated
in 2004, the first year statistics were available.

Johnson said the rapid rise may mean that Somerset County is in the
early stages of the type of drug problems that other parts of the
state have struggled with for years.

The rate of growth in the number of people age 12 to 20 from Somerset
County treated for addiction to opiates and other synthetic drugs --
often prescription drugs -- was high. Eight people in the age group
were treated for addiction to that category of drugs in 2004, 10 in
2005 and 15 in 2006.

Both Skowhegan and Bingham held community meetings this winter in
response to concerns about increases in drug use and drug-related
crimes, including robberies.

One reason for the rapid growth in the number of people treated for
addiction to heroin and morphine is that it takes a relatively short
time to develop an addiction to those drugs, Johnson said.

By comparison, there were 27 Somerset County residents between 12 and
20 treated for alcohol abuse in 2006, down from 29 in 2005 and 30 in 2004.

Johnson said fighting a drug problem requires a multifaceted approach.

"You have to attack in from all angles. You need treatment, you need
prevention and you need law enforcement," Johnson said.

Lt. Carl Gottardi, of the Somerset County Sheriff's Department, said
the increase in heroin and prescription-drug abuse has been
"dramatic." For every person who seeks treatment for addiction, he
said, there are at least two that don't.

"I think that, unfortunately, unless something changes, it is going
to get worse," he said.

In the past year, Gottardi said his department has solved five
robberies, all motivated by drugs.

In one case, the robber owed thousands of dollars to drug dealers and
had been threatened by the dealers to pay his debt.

Gottardi said teens are becoming involved with drugs and moving
quickly to crime, stealing from their parents and relatives and
prostituting themselves to feed their addiction.

"With these types of drugs, they are dealt a lot more at school
because they are very easy to conceal," he said, referring to
prescription drugs and cocaine.

Often the pills themselves are obtained through legitimate
prescriptions and then sold for a high price -- up to $80 a pill or
more, Gottardi said.

In one recent case handled by his department, a person was receiving
500 pills a month and selling many of them, he said.

Gottardi said family members of drug abusers should be supportive of
their efforts to break out of addiction.

"I think that if people know they have an avenue to turn to ... they
are more likely to seek help," he said.