HEROIN SURPASSES COCAINE AS NO. 1 THREAT

Heroin Becomes No. 1 Drug Threat

Deadly Colombian heroin is replacing cocaine as the state's most serious
drug threat, federal and local authorities confirm.

The change will be published this fall in an annual state drug assessment
by the National Drug Intelligence Center, NDIC staff said. The Johnstown
and McLean, Va.-based NDIC uses reports from the DEA, FBI, CIA, military
and local police to do state by state drug assessments for a counterdrug
intelligence plan.

While abuse of powder and crack cocaine, Ecstasy and club drugs, marijuana
and OxyContin remain problems in the Pittsburgh area, Colombian heroin is
the state's most serious drug threat, NDIC spokeswoman Lynn S. Hollinger said.

The threat won't be soon shoved aside by dangerous homemade methamphetamine
even though it, too, is a growing problem in parts of the state, said the
group's senior analyst, Robin Baggio.

"Heroin abuse is high and continued. There are now more hospital
admissions, and there is more emergency room treatment for heroin than for
cocaine" across the state," Baggio said.

She said there is evidence of increased heroin use by youth.

Baggio said heroin sales are increasing in parts of the state even though
dozens of mid- and street-level dealers have been arrested.

"There are also a significant number of deaths," Baggio said.

Thus far in 2002 at least 92 heroin deaths have been reported by Allegheny,
Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland county coroner's offices.

In Allegheny County, heroin alone has caused 36 deaths in Allegheny County;
and heroin in combination with other substances caused another 36 deaths.
County epidemiologist Steve Koehler said there have been more heroin deaths
in the county, but the cases haven't been confirmed yet because of a
backlog in processing toxicology reports, .

Coroners reported 12 deaths in Westmoreland County, seven in Butler County
and one in Armstrong County so far this year.

Last year the NDIC said heroin was the second most serious threat in the
state. However, police and the DEA learned that some cocaine dealers were
giving away samples of heroin.

The Colombian heroin blizzard is challenging police, courts, physicians and
families across the state.

"We see it every day," said Harrison District Justice Carolyn Bengel.
District Justice J. Gary DeComo is emphasizing heroin as a threat when he
takes his anti-drug and alcohol program into Ford City and other Armstrong
County schools.

"We do see the effects of drug abuse. It's rampant," said funeral director
Ross Walker III, who is also a supervisor for Upper Burrell Township.

"It's so cheap. It's $10-$15 a bag. In Vandergrift they may pay $25, but
it's still cheap and it's everywhere," said Upper Burrell police Sgt. Les
Jones.

"It's as worse as I've seen it because there is so much acceptance by the
kids," said Lower Burrell Detective Sgt. Robert Galvanek.

"We're seeing more heroin now. In the past it was an inner-city drug.
That's no longer the case," said Allegheny County Detective Lt. Harold
Kline. "We see middle class and suburban people buying it. It's of higher
purity and it's cheaper. It can be smoked or snorted."

In 2000, Americans spent about $36 million on cocaine and $10 billion on
heroin.