STUDY SUGGESTS EMERGING HEROIN PROBLEM IN LAPORTE COUNTY

Warning Comes Early Enough For Officials To Stem The Tide

The authors of a study placing Porter County among the top 10 in the
nation in heroin-related deaths have found signs that a similar trend
may be emerging in neighboring LaPorte County.

Five young men have been arrested on heroin charges this year in the
city of LaPorte, following only a limited number of arrests aside
from a multi-jurisdictional task force sweep in Michigan City last
year, according to a study released Wednesday by Roosevelt University
in Chicago and its Institute for Metropolitan Affairs. The study also
identified a 236-percent increase in the number of opiate pills
seized county wide between 2001 and 2004, which is another troubling
trend considering users often switch to heroin because the drug is
cheaper, said co-author Kathleen Kane-Willis.

Like Porter County, it appears heroin users in LaPorte County are
travelling to Chicago to purchase the drug, Kane-Willis said. Only a
small number of dealers appear to be operating in LaPorte County,
despite fears to the contrary, she said.

The good news is that if there is a heroin problem developing, it is
still early enough for officials to intervene with education, Kane-Willis said.

LaPorte's local drug-free partnership, which has been in existence
since 1989 and is made up to more than 40 agencies and organizations,
has already begun to make important strides in the areas of education
and prevention, according to Sandy Gleim, local coordinating council
chair and director of Healthy Communities of LaPorte County.

The group is looking at the possibility of seeking grant money to
address the reported growth in drug use among young people, she said.

LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris said he would like to see a
multi-disciplinary team convened to review the report and determine
what action is needed to address the concerns identified.

Cocaine is also a growing problem in LaPorte County, according to the
study. More than twice as much cocaine was seized in Michigan City
and LaPorte in 2005 as compared to 2000, and local drug treatment
centers reported substantial increases in the number patients seeking
help related to cocaine use.