HOW ILLEGAL DRUGS HIT THE STREETS

Here's a look at how young people are getting their hands on heroin and
OxyContin: Heroin In the past several years, law enforcement has noticed
that the area's heroin is no longer coming from the Far East. Instead, most
of the drug found North of Boston travels from Colombian jungles to New
York City and then up Interstate 95 to Essex County.

It arrives in New York compressed in finger-size "bullets," often made of
latex, that are swallowed by smugglers so the drug can travel undetected on
airplanes. From New York, the drug makes its way north via cars, delivery
services and bus lines.

Here in Essex County, heroin is sold in single bags, typically enough for
one hit, costing between $4 and $20. A gram sells for $60 to $100. An ounce
is $2,500 to $5,000.

The more hardened addicts may use 3 or 4 grams a day. Heroin usually is
distributed in powder form, though it can have a tarlike quality. It comes
in a variety of colors, and for several years, dealers would pack it in
glassine bags with marketing logos such as "Red Devil," "Batman"
and "Heavy D."

But Lt. Kenneth Gill, head of the Essex County Drug Task Force, said most
dealers have stopped placing logos on their goods because it became too
easy for law enforcement to trace the drugs.

Instead, most of the heroin North of Boston is sold in cellophane bags
closed with twist-ties. Excess plastic is typically cut off once the bag is
sealed, so the "bundle" can fit in the center of a person's palm.
OxyContin The other drug playing a role in the county's opiate epidemic is
the prescription pill OxyContin.

OxyContin is the brand name for oxycodone hydrochloride, a very strong
narcotic used to treat chronic pain. It was approved by the Food and Drug
Administration in 1995. Addiction is similar to heroin addiction because
both drugs are derived from opium.

However, plenty of people prescribed OxyContin don't become addicted
because they follow a doctor's directions to take the pill whole, and with
food and water once every 12 hours.

What's different with the young people who become addicts is how they take
the pill. OxyContin has a time-release coating that provides pain relief 12
hours. But abusers typically crush the pill to remove this coating. This
way they get an immediate "rush" or "high" similar to heroin.

Once they crush the pill, they snort the powder or dissolve it in water and
drink it. The dissolved pill also can be shot directly into the bloodstream
with a hypodermic needle.

On the street, the pills are called Oxys, OCs or just Os. The drug
typically sells for $1 a milligram on the black market, with the 20- and
80-milligram tablets ($20 and $80) the most common. They come in a variety
colors, including green, yellow, pink and white. The pills typically have
the dosage listed on one side and the initials "OC" on the other.

OxyContin often is obtained by "doctor shopping" - receiving prescriptions
from several different doctors. Users also forge prescriptions, steal
prescription pads, and rob home medicine cabinets, mail carriers, drug
stores and individual patients.

Unlike heroin, which has a well-established trafficking network,
prescription drugs such as OxyContin typically are sold by independent
dealers who sell them to support their own drug habits.