News (Media Awareness Project) - US WI: The Dangerous New Heroin |
| Title: | US WI: The Dangerous New Heroin |
| Published On: | 2000-08-21 |
| Source: | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-03 11:34:42 |
THE DANGEROUS NEW HEROIN
One of the biggest challenges in the war on drugs is that the enemy never really stands still. Just when a bead is drawn on one target, it moves or, in some cases, even changes form.
In this case, the target is a cheaper and far more potent form of heroin, which has already begun to take its toll.
Overdoses from this new type of heroin have been blamed for a record 15 deaths so far this year in Milwaukee County, compared with 12 heroin-related deaths in all of 1999. Alarmingly, eight deaths have occurred during the past two weeks.
After holding steady for years, heroin use is on the rise across the country, and the price is at an all-time low. The newer form of the drug is insidious because it's much more highly concentrated, pure enough that it can be snorted or smoked instead of injected, according to officials at IMPACT Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services Inc., formerly the Milwaukee Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
That heroin can be snorted or smoked, officials add, is responsible for the drug's new appeal, while also helping to eliminate its historical stigma. Many users no longer fit the stereotypical "junkie" image.
Four of the Milwaukee County victims were from the suburbs; most were middle-aged; nine were white. Some of the victims "were fully functioning people working full-time jobs," according to officials. In one case, the victim's family "didn't even know he was using narcotics," according to Eileen Weller, administrative manager for the medical examiner's office.
The new drug's greater purity has also made it more dangerous. Officials in the medical examiner's office speculate that even experienced users can end up ingesting more than they intended, resulting in a lethal overdose.
Ultimately, as is the case with any drug - whether alcohol, heroin or cocaine - the answer lies in prevention and treatment. Law enforcement is obviously necessary to curb the sale of illegal drugs and punish those who engage in this despicable trade.
But law enforcement and prison carry high price tags. Over the long run, devoting more money to prevention and treatment makes more economic sense.
One of the biggest challenges in the war on drugs is that the enemy never really stands still. Just when a bead is drawn on one target, it moves or, in some cases, even changes form.
In this case, the target is a cheaper and far more potent form of heroin, which has already begun to take its toll.
Overdoses from this new type of heroin have been blamed for a record 15 deaths so far this year in Milwaukee County, compared with 12 heroin-related deaths in all of 1999. Alarmingly, eight deaths have occurred during the past two weeks.
After holding steady for years, heroin use is on the rise across the country, and the price is at an all-time low. The newer form of the drug is insidious because it's much more highly concentrated, pure enough that it can be snorted or smoked instead of injected, according to officials at IMPACT Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services Inc., formerly the Milwaukee Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
That heroin can be snorted or smoked, officials add, is responsible for the drug's new appeal, while also helping to eliminate its historical stigma. Many users no longer fit the stereotypical "junkie" image.
Four of the Milwaukee County victims were from the suburbs; most were middle-aged; nine were white. Some of the victims "were fully functioning people working full-time jobs," according to officials. In one case, the victim's family "didn't even know he was using narcotics," according to Eileen Weller, administrative manager for the medical examiner's office.
The new drug's greater purity has also made it more dangerous. Officials in the medical examiner's office speculate that even experienced users can end up ingesting more than they intended, resulting in a lethal overdose.
Ultimately, as is the case with any drug - whether alcohol, heroin or cocaine - the answer lies in prevention and treatment. Law enforcement is obviously necessary to curb the sale of illegal drugs and punish those who engage in this despicable trade.
But law enforcement and prison carry high price tags. Over the long run, devoting more money to prevention and treatment makes more economic sense.
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