OVERDOSES BLAMED ON HEROIN GLUT

A recent spate of fatal heroin overdoses in the Rochester area does
not appear to be linked to tainted or extra-potent batches of drugs,
the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office said yesterday.

"There is nothing different in these cases than what we've seen in
past years," said Dr. Jeanne Beno, chief toxicologist for the Medical
Examiner's Office.

Six people in Monroe County and one from outside the county died from
heroin overdoses between Aug. 2 and Aug. 11. An eighth person in
Monroe County died from an overdose of cocaine and alcohol in that
time period.

The rash of overdoses prompted Rochester Police Chief Robert Duffy to
issue a public warning that a deadly batch of drugs might be
circulating in the area. Duffy could not be reached for comment yesterday.

But Beno said the increase in deaths is more likely tied to an
increase in the amount of heroin on the streets.

"I suspect it relates largely to availability," she said. "One
explanation could be that there was a glut of heroin on the street."

Michael Beatty, associate executive director of AIDS Rochester, which
operates a needle-exchange program, said workers in the organization
have heard anecdotal accounts that the price of heroin is declining.
That could suggest the availability of the drug is on the rise, he
said. Rochester police said a dose of heroin -- about 0.06 grams --
costs about $15 to $20.

Police also are investigating whether the local deaths are related to
similar heroin deaths in other cities.

Buffalo had nine such deaths between May 24 and Aug. 7. In the Houston
area, there were 15 fatal overdoses the weekend of Aug. 11 and 12.

The number of heroin deaths investigated by the Medical Examiner's
Office has been rising for the past several years, but accelerated
sharply this year. By the end of August, the office had investigated
24 heroin deaths -- most of them from Monroe County, the rest from
other area counties that don't have their own medical examiners.

"In just seven months, we've already experienced the largest number of
heroin deaths we've ever seen (in a previous year)," Beno said.

The Medical Examiner's Office also is seeing more overdose victims
with a combination of heroin and other drugs, particularly cocaine, in
their systems. Of the 24 heroin-related deaths this year, 74 percent
had cocaine in their systems. Last year, 50 percent of heroin overdose
victims showed signs of cocaine use.

Beno said most heroin overdose victims tend to be white, middle-aged
men who've been using the drug for several years. The locations of the
deaths are spread across the county, she said.

"This is not just an inner-city problem," she said. "To hide your head
in the sand and think it's not your problem in your community is
rather foolish."

Also yesterday, Beno revealed evidence that the Rochester area is part
of a national trend involving the illegal use of the prescription pain
killers oxycodone and hydrocodone.

From 1998 to 2001, the number of local investigations involving
oxycodone grew from two to nine, while hydrocodone jumped from 2 to
18.

"It suggests a lot of (these drugs) are being diverted to the street,"
Beno said.