POLICE WARN OF HEROIN DANGER

SPRINGFIELD - Three weekend heroin overdoses and a possible overdose
death have triggered a police investigation and prompted a warning to
steer clear of the highly addictive substance.

Narcotics Bureau Lt. Charles G. Cook said that an autopsy is being
conducted on a woman who died on Friday. Police believe she was
killed by a heroin overdose.

Three non-fatal overdoses, all in the Forest Park section of the
city, have police concerned that some heroin being sold in
Springfield may be particularly strong.

"All heroin is bad, and we're saying what we always say: Don't buy
it, and don't use it," Cook said.

The Police Department issued a written warning yesterday "so
individuals are made aware of the dangers of purchasing heroin in
Springfield at this time."

Cook said the Police Department tests heroin samples from overdose
victims when they are available. But typically there is nothing on
hand to test, he said.

He declined to say whether any heroin was recovered during the
weekend in connection with any of the overdose cases.

Easy availability of heroin and its low cost - $10 for a single bag -
has made for an alarmingly high rate of usage that is growing, Cook said.

He estimated there are thousands of heroin users in Western
Massachusetts, many of them teenagers in high school. Repeated use of
the drug causes addiction in about a week in most cases, he said.

"It is very addictive, and very hard to kick a heroin habit. In my
experience, you see people overcome prescription drug abuse, cocaine,
alcohol, with treatment and will power. But heroin, you see very,
very few success stories," he said.

Cook is not convinced that the weekend overdoses are a sign that the
deadly strong mix of Mexican heroin and fentanyl has hit the area.
But it may be so.

Fentanyl is an anesthetic with a potency of about 80 times that of morphine.

Cook said the fentanyl-laced heroin showed up in the Midwest and is
known to be as far east as New York state. But so far, none has been
found in Springfield.

Fentanyl is mixed with Mexican heroin to make it competitive with the
naturally stronger South American heroin typically sold in Western
Massachusetts.

"There's always a danger when you purchase an illicit drug that you
don't know what's in it. It's not like getting pills from a drug
store," he said.