HENRICO INMATES STATE PREFERENCE FOR HEROIN

Heroin is the drug of choice among older Henrico County Jail inmates,
according to a survey conducted by the county's sheriff's office.

The survey's results were presented to the county Board of Supervisors last
night.

The addictive opiate surpassed marijuana as favorite among inmates age 35
and up and rated nearly equally with marijuana among inmates 25 to 34.

The results of the survey, conducted last March, "did not surprise us, but
I did not know [heroin] would surpass cocaine," Sheriff Mike Wade said. The
numbers are "pretty much similar to what's nationwide. But it just touches
home."

Inmates who are enrolled in the jail's substance-abuse program administered
the survey. Of 1,034 inmates who were asked to participate, 644 filled out
questionnaires.

Among respondents, 74 percent said drugs were directly or indirectly
related to why they were incarcerated, Wade said.

Among inmates age 18 to 24, marijuana remained the drug of choice, Wade
reported.

"It's a good concern and indication that marijuana is definitely a gateway
drug to other drugs."

Since taking office, Wade has piloted a program unique in the nation that
allows drug offenders to volunteer for treatment in live-in substance abuse
rehabilitation dormitories within the county's Jail East facility.

The study does far more than justify the jail program, said Brendan Hayes,
program manager with Henrico Area Mental Health and Retardation Services.

"I think the thing probably to pay attention to is it supports what we're
seeing on an outpatient basis," Hayes said.

During the past three years, MH/R officials have see an "incredible
increase" in heroin use, he said.

Gordon Ragland, director of Henrico Social Services, said the study's
results surprised him but also provided a reason to think twice when his
department deals with children and families damaged by drug abuse.

"I think our sense has been that cocaine has been the more prevalent
problem," he said, noting that parental drug abuse is often the reason
children enter the county's foster child program.

"It doesn't make a difference in terms of the intervention for the child,
but it does make a difference for what we're assuming was the problem. The
more you know, the better prepared you are to deal with that problem."