A LOOK AT HOW THE DEADLIEST OF DRUGS GETS INTO THE VEIN OF EVEN THE
SMALLEST COMMUNITY

A Roosevelt University study on heroin use in Porter County was
supposed to be a wake-up call. But 18 months after the study's
release, many believe officials are still fast asleep and doing
little to address the alarming truth. The study found Porter County
ranked 10th in the nation for per capita heroin- and opiate-related
deaths - placing it higher than Chicago, New York and Boston.

The county also ranked third in the nation for per capita emergency
room visits related to heroin for those between 18 and 25, falling
behind only Baltimore and Philadelphia.

According to the Porter County coroner's office, the county logged 39
heroin- and opiate-related deaths from 1998 to 2006. The study
focused on 2002 data for the county, whose 146,798 residents occupy
418 square miles in Northwest Indiana.

When the study was released, many found themselves asking why heroin
was such a problem here.

Affluence and proximity to drug sales in Chicago emerged as key factors.

Many young people find themselves with cash on hand and an abundance
of unsupervised time while their parents are dedicating their time to
high-powered, big-money jobs and the social and civic obligations
that come with them.

The study recommended an increased focus on heroin in drug education
programs, encouraging Northwest Indiana hospitals to join the Drug
Abuse Warning Network. The network's duties include logging and
tracking trends, completing more research on young heroin users,
increasing drug-court availability, increasing parental awareness of
heroin and increasing opiate-substitution (methadone) therapy.

"A communitywide collaboration between educational, treatment, civic,
hospital, public health and law enforcement officials, such as Porter
County Community Action Drug Coalition, can be an important resource
in mobilizing public, private and political support for future
initiatives designed to curtail the rising number of young heroin
users in Porter County communities," the report said.

To date - 18 months after the study's release - just two of the
recommendations are being implemented. Just this March, Porter County
Superior Court Judge Julia Jent launched the county's first drug
court, located in Portage.

And locating a methadone clinic in Porter County is in the early
stages, with state legislators working to bring down the barriers
that kept one from locating here in the past. Porter-Starke Services
Inc., which commissioned the Roosevelt study, is one of the early
front-runners to operate the clinic.

But many say much work still is needed and that those working to
remedy the problem are few, under-funded and not working together.

Starting today, The Times begins a five-part series examining how and
why heroin infiltrated this seemingly quiet county.

Over the next five days, the faces of those who lost their lives to
heroin use will appear on these pages.

The woman blamed for bringing heroin to the county and getting close
to 30 young people addicted to the drug tells her side of the story.

Users who have gotten away from the drug and those who are serving
time in jail because they can't shake it will share their experiences as well.

We'll travel to Chicago with local police to see where Porter County
users are buying their heroin and hear the frustration of law
enforcement officials who speak out on the need for more officers and
more funding to tackle the problem.

From there, we'll move to the Porter County drug court and jail for
a look at how the system is working with heroin offenders.

And finally, The Times will look at the people and methods offering solutions.

In the end, it is our hope the series will shine a light on a problem
that some would rather keep in the dark and prompt candid discussion
and cooperation that can lead to changes for the better.