Pubdate: Mon, 28 Aug 2000
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA)
Copyright: 2000 Richmond Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293
Fax: (804) 775-8072
Feedback: http://www.gatewayva.com/feedback/totheeditor.shtml
Website: http://www.timesdispatch.com/
Author: Mark Bowes

HEROIN TOLL RISING / DRUG'S PURITY HERE CAUSING PROBLEMS

At least 17 Richmond area people have died this year from overdoses of
heroin, raising concern among police that the drug is making a deadly
comeback here.

Local authorities are so alarmed about the resurgence of heroin trafficking
and abuse that they plan to issue a joint statement today to warn the
public.

"If you take a look at the entire region, it's definitely a problem," said
Chesterfield County Police Chief Carl Baker.

"It's a police problem but it's a community problem, too."

The drug's unusually high purity in the Richmond area, combined with the
inexperience of many of the area's younger heroin users, is believed to be
behind the escalating number of overdoses and deaths, officials say.

The purity of heroin sold in the Richmond area hovers around 70 percent,
compared with 35 percent to 40 percent nationally. Some of the heroin here
has tested as high as 90 percent pure, and many of the younger users are
snorting it rather than injecting it.

"Heroin is certainly re-establishing itself as a prominent drug, not only in
the inner cities where it traditionally and historically has been, but
spreading to suburbia in the major metropolitan areas," said Frank Chellino,
special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for Virginia,
Washington and Maryland.

"When you start seeing that type of rapid escalation in overdoses and deaths
in a suburban area, that's a clear indication of the availability and purity
of the drug, and of the ability of heroin -- which is very addictive -- to
spread to suburban areas," he added.

Chellino compared the recent heroin scourge here to that of Plano, Texas,
where nearly 20 mostly young and affluent people have died during the past
three years from heroin use.

In Henrico County, police know of at least 22 drug overdoses from heroin use
- -- eight of them fatal -- since Jan. 1. Five of the victims were younger
than 30, two were in their mid-to late-30s and one was 50; five of the eight
were white males.

In Richmond, at least five people have died abusing heroin; four have died
in Chesterfield. Hanover, which recorded six heroin deaths in 1997-98, has
had none this year, according to figures supplied by area police
departments.

Chesterfield police are aware of 17 heroin overdose cases in the county this
year, including the four that were fatal. The total number of heroin-related
overdoses in the city was not available. Hanover has had at least one
non-fatal heroin overdose since January.

Chellino cited four contributing factors in explaining the area's overdose
epidemic.

In addition to the drug's purity, "you also have to factor in the dosage
unit being taken, the experience level of the people using it and their
tolerance for the drug," Chellino noted. "I think what you may be
experiencing here -- although I'm not a doctor -- is that you may have a lot
of these suburban-type youths using this drug, as opposed to regular heroin
users."

The younger abusers "have not built up a tolerance over a number of years
and do not know what type of quantity in terms of dosage to use, and they
have very little experience in terms of using heroin."

Chesterfield's Baker said the local purity is so high partly because "some
of these [heroin] dealers aren't sophisticated enough to cut it and sell it.
They're just selling it as they get it. The heroin out there is very
dangerous."

Henrico police Capt. Neil Bero, commander of the department's Organized
Crime and Covert Unit, said there's no evidence of the heroin being "laced
with anything" to make it more deadly. "It's just that we're seeing more of
it," he said.

Bero said narcotics investigators are increasing efforts to find the sources
of the drug.

"We've opened up some drug cases on these people [who have overdosed]," Bero
said. "We're trying to figure out as best we can where the heroin is coming
from, where they purchased it. And then if we can make any cases on it, we
do."

In one recent case in Henrico, authorities called an admitted heroin addict
before a Richmond multijurisdictional grand jury in an effort to learn where
he was getting his drugs. Police and rescue personnel responded twice in six
weeks to his home after he overdosed, court records show.

During an overdose July 1, the 28-year-old man nearly died. Authorities
found him lying on the living room floor unconscious, with needle "track
marks" on both of his forearms.

Suburban authorities hope to get a better handle on the counties' drug
problems with the recent formation of a multijurisdictional grand jury based
in Hanover County. The grand jury, the third of its type in the
Richmond-Petersburg area, will focus on drug trafficking in Henrico,
Chesterfield and Hanover.

"We need to concentrate more on drug activity of the people here in the
counties," said Henrico Police Chief Henry W. Stanley Jr. "And if we can do
that here in the county, and at the same time still have a concerted effort
with the city, it gives us an option as to where to concentrate. And
sometimes that's better."

Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield already are part of a multijurisdictional
grand jury based in South Richmond that also serves the city. The grand
juries are empowered to investigate primarily narcotics trafficking and
other drug-related crimes.

Chellino said the heroin problem here and in the Baltimore and Washington
areas generally can be traced to "the emergence of the Colombian drug lords"
into heroin trafficking.

"I think the Colombians have become very adept at refining and making very
pure heroin," Chellino said. "And I think the percentages that we're seeing
in the country, particularly in Richmond -- which by the way is higher than
in Baltimore or Washington -- is causing these overdoses and deaths that
we're seeing."

Baker said he feels compelled to alert the public.

"Obviously we have some young people involved," the chief said, "and maybe
- -- even if parents or a spouse or someone knows of a problem -- with this
information out there we can save one or two lives."
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