MPD: HEROIN NOT TYPICAL STUDENT FARE

Law Professor's Son Died Of Drug OD

The hills of Morgantown form a quiet community, but not one impervious to
the world's ills many think exist only in the "big city."

The word 'heroin' may conjure up images of rock stars and street people for
some, but the recent death of Gabriel Friedberg, makes it apparent the big
city is never far away. Friedberg, a 22-year-old WVU student, succumbed to
a heroin overdose on Sept. 3, said his father, WVU law professor James
Friedberg.

Friedberg's body was found by Morgantown Police after the Morgantown Fire
Department responded to a call of an unconscious person at James and Helene
Friedberg's Simpson Street home.

James Friedberg told WVU's The Daily Athenauem that an autopsy conducted by
the West Virginia Medical Examiner's Office found that heroin was the main
cause of his son's death.

The Friedbergs are out of town and could not be reached for comment.

To date, Morgantown police have not released the results of the autopsy
report. Lt. Roy Zinn, detective supervisor, said that the case is still
under investigation, but refused to give any further details.

He did say, however, that it does not appear to be a case of "bad" or
tainted heroin on the streets. It appears to be "an isolated, accidental
incident."

Gabriel Friedberg's death has caused some people to ask just how prevalent
heroin is in Morgantown and in Monongalia County. Local police said that by
and large, heroin is not all that common.

Detective Steve Ford, a former Morgantown Police task force member, said
that heroin usually circulates through a small core of people in the city
- -- usually locals, not students. And it seems that it is usually purchased
out of town -- in Pittsburgh -- and brought in.

The "harder" drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and crack (a chunky, smokeable
version of cocaine), are not typical student fare, he said. If students do
experiment with drugs, they are more likely to try marijuana, prescription
medications and Ecstasy.

"Marijuana is by far the biggest problem," he said.

Monongalia County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Capt. Al Kisner also
said that, in his experience, heroin is rare.

"Have we seen a lot of it in our busts? No," he said. "Have we seen it
being the cause of many of the overdoses we've investigated? No."

But, Kisner said, the department has been receiving information lately that
several investigations involve people who may be using heroin.

"It may be that if those reports are true, it may be part of the reason for
their criminal activity," he said.

Kisner said his department faces a far more serious problem with Oxycontin,
a narcotic prescription painkiller.

"We're seeing a lot of that," he said. "We see Ecstasy from time to time,
and of course, marijuana has always been around."

Kisner said that out in the county, his department also encounters quite a
bit of crack use. He said crack is easily available from nearby cities such
as Uniontown.

State Police Sgt. T. Helmick said his department also faces a problem with
prescription drugs and marijuana, but that dealings with heroin are rare.

"I know our experience with heroin is uncommon around here," he said. "It's
definitely not something we deal with on a daily basis, thank goodness."