CORONER: LACED HEROIN IS DEADLY

MORRIS -- The Grundy County coroner's office now will test all
heroin-related deaths for fentanyl due to an increase in the
combination of the drugs in the county.

"Now it's been in the area for sometime, but the coroner's office has
not been involved before," said Coroner John Callahan at a press
conference Tuesday. "We want people to know the dangers."

In a week, there have been two county deaths related to heroin
overdoses. Michael McGovern, 19, of Seneca died Saturday morning of a
heroin overdose, which is still under investigation by Morris and
Seneca police. On Aug. 19, a Morris man, Edward Neikirk, 44, also
died of an overdose.

Preliminary investigations indicate that both victims used heroin
laced with fentanyl, Callahan said. Lab results are pending.

Dangers Of Fentanyl

Fentanyl can be obtained in one of two forms, said Dr. Ben Johnston
of Morris Hospital. Fentanyl is a prescription drug used to manage
pain for those tolerant to opiates. It is 50 to 80 times more potent
than morphine. The drug also can be produced in illegal labs in a
powder form, which can be mixed with or substituted for heroin and cocaine.

People making the drug for street use are using too much of the
potent fentanyl in the mixture, causing a fast death. Fifty to 100
micrograms of fentanyl is equal to a grain of salt, Johnston said.

"The difference then between life and death is like one grain and
four grains of salt," he said.

Fentanyl overdoses can result in sudden death through respiratory
arrest, cardiac arrest, severe respiratory depression, cardiovascular
collapse or severe anaphylactic reaction. But doctors run into
trouble treating it because they usually don't know it is there.

"The problem is that the lab (product) doesn't show up on most drug
screenings and it has to be specifically asked for (when tests are
being conducted)," Johnston said. If it is known, he continued, it is
usually too late; it causes death in minutes.

If a victim died of an overdose of heroin mixed with lab-created
fentanyl, the toxicology report would show a heroin overdose, but not
the fentanyl. Therefore, it is believed that many overdoses in the
area were classified as a heroin overdoses, but actually may have
been caused by the undetected fentanyl.

The largest concern is the increase in heroin use by young people.
Because heroin is easy to get from Chicago connections, it is
relatively inexpensive, Callahan said. Parents need to be aware of
what to look for and call the authorities if they find it. He
suggested looking for mint tins and aluminum foil.

Wilmington Warning

Last week, Wilmington officials hosted a meeting to warn parents of
growing heroin usage and called it the most threatening drug in the area.

"Kids have the mentality, 'It won't happen to me,'" Callahan said. "A
drug user's intent is to get high because of the good things, in
their mind, that come with it. Death is not their intent."

The Grundy County No Tolerance Task Force will have a regular meeting
Sept. 13 which will address the heroin problem, said Paula Goodwin,
task force coordinator.

If you are concerned your child may have a substance abuse problem,
call Cathy Guzik, an adolescent addictions counselor for the county,
at (815) 260-7902.