HEROIN ON RISE IN AREA - OFFICER: 'WE HAVE A PROBLEM'

Heroin is here.

And New Philadelphia police say they're confiscating more and more of
it everyday.

"We have a problem," said K-9 Officer Randy Williamson. "It's
starting to become the drug of choice."

In just the first few days of 2006, Williamson said, officers have
collected more heroin than they collected in all of 2005 and 2004.

The department collected 19 "folds" of heroin in the past nine days.
A "fold" - a square of paper folded to hold a drug - contains less
than a gram of heroin. By comparison, 11 folds were confiscated in
2005 and none in 2004.

Both Williamson and Traffic Officer Shawn Nelson said the sudden
spike in the drug use surprises them, even though they knew that
heroin has been in the area for some time. The most prominent age
group in which they find it - 18- to 24-year-olds.

"They're saying it's cheap, and it's easy to conceal," said Nelson.
"People we've already gotten told us they were doing the drug in high school."

Those who are arrested tell officers they are getting the hard-core
drug from bigger cities such as Pittsburgh, although Williamson said
he knows the drug is being sold in the area.

"Parents need to be educated," said Nelson. "It is a highly addictive
drug. Even experimental usage can create an addiction. All of the
cases we've dealt with, it wrecks their lives from top to bottom."

The increase isn't just in New Philadelphia. Tuscarawas County
Sheriff Lt. Detective Orvis Campbell said his department has seen an
increase in heroin use in the past year. Campbell currently is
investigating the death of an area man that could be related to
heroin. Investigators are waiting for the results of a toxicology report.

"For Tuscarawas County, it's really a drug that's taken over," said
Campbell. "It's definitely something we ought to be afraid of."

Campbell said the sheriff's department has investigated information
about heroin dealers and users, and use of heroin has grown
especially in the past year.

"People have told us they've talked to younger people who are scared
about their own future because they can't shake it," said Campbell.
"Local dealers are doing whatever they can to try to get people hooked on it."

Signs that heroin, which can be injected or snorted through the nose,
is being used include black and blue marks on the body. Other
indicators include short straws, spoons that are burned on the bottom
and syringes. Heroin possession is a felony, and those convicted can
go to prison. By comparison, possession of less than 100 grams of
marijuana is a minor misdemeanor.

New Philadelphia police aim to keep heroin and other drugs off the
street as part of their department's drug interdiction program,
implemented in 2003. Officers making traffic stops make an extra
effort to look for certain indicators that would tip them off to drug
use. Police have said the drugs they do find are only a small
fraction of what exists in the area.

The department's police dog, Abbe, is an integral part of the program
and is trained to alert officers to drugs, including heroin.

New Philadelphia police collected around $24,000 worth of drugs and
drugs items in 2005. That is double the amount they collected in
2004. Included in 2005's collection were $16,000 worth of marijuana,
$1,000 worth of cocaine and $715 worth of drug paraphernalia.

"If you get stopped by the police, be aware that drug interdiction is
going on," said Nelson. "We're not out to harass the public. We're
out to get the drugs out of here."

With the sudden increase in heroin, Williamson said, police will be
stepping up their efforts.

"Heroin is nothing we want in this town," he said.