SEATTLE HEROIN

Record overdose deaths underscore national problem

Is America experiencing a resurgent heroin epidemic? Once again, the latest
evidence from a major metropolitan area suggests the answer is an
unequivocal yes. Routinely a national leader in per-capita heroin overdose
deaths, Seattle and surrounding King County, Wash., set a record in the
number of such fatalities in 1998 - at least 138, more likely 150 and quite
possibly many more than that.

The grief of Puget Sound cannot help but resonate in North Texas and around
the country. Along with the state of Maryland, this region's problems with
heroin have resulted in its designation as a mini-heroin epicenter, and in
receiving a federal designation that gives it extra help in the battle
against drugs. Elsewhere, metropolitan areas like Baltimore, Newark and San
Francisco continue to rival Seattle as leaders in per-capita heroin deaths.

What explains Seattle heroin overdose deaths that are now at triple the
levels reported in the 1980s? Enhanced levels of purity is one answer. That
means the drug's evil allure must be de-romanticized through education, as
is being done by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Others believe
that a "culture of heroin" must also be challenged, given evidence of the
drug's popularity in cities with a strong music scene. Heroin is known to
have played a role in the decline of Seattle-area rock star Kurt Cobain,
who committed suicide in 1994.

But changing demographics are a more basic explanation. Consider the 100
percent increase in the number of high school seniors who experimented with
the drug nationwide between 1990 and 1996. In the Dallas area, the increase
was pegged at 300 percent.

Against that backdrop, more treatment is imperative. Predictably, however,
Seattle and other cities are experiencing a severe shortage of beds. In
North Texas, the Denton County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
deserves funding for long-term residential treatment for children trying to
get off drugs, with the money coming from a sales tax on alcohol and
tobacco. Cities should brainstorm constantly for other ideas.

Finally, parents need to get real. Parental involvement in their children's
lives is critical. Schools must provide greater substance abuse counseling
and heightened teacher awareness. And even as more treatment appears within
the criminal justice system, let's not forget to send out another
unequivocal message: Smuggling, dealing and using heroin are not only
wrong, but illegal too. Anything short of a balanced approach will only
feed the problem down the road.