Pubdate: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 Source: North Andover Citizen (MA) Copyright: 2005 North Andover Citizen Contact: http://www.townonline.com/northandover/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3270 Author: Marissa Carfagna Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) STEPPING UP THE FIGHT AGAINST HEROIN A frightened parent called the North Andover police station last Thursday, scared that his teenage son was headed towards a life of heroin addiction. The parent made the phone call in hope of getting help. Police learned that twin brothers Alexander L. Finger and Nathan W. Finger, both 20, of 595 Salem St., were supplying heroin to the teenage boy. The brothers were both arrested later that night and charged with possession of a hypodermic needle and syringe and distribution of heroin. This is not the first time the Fingers were arrested. Last April, Alex Finger was charged with six counts of possession of heroin and a hypodermic needle and Nathan Finger for possession of marijuana. Police Lt. Paul J. Gallagher said North Andover is seeing this type of problem more and more. The heroin and opiate problem is creeping into an epidemic because the price of heroin is very cheap and the purity of it is very high. The arrest of the Fingers underscores the message that 480 people including law officials, political leaders, clergy, concerned citizens and parents heard earlier that day at Merrimack College during a Heroin/Opiate Epidemic Summit hosted by Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett and Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins Jr. "This is the fight we cannot afford to lose. Not just today, but tomorrow and the next day," said Blodgett, who believes heroin and opiate use have risen to epidemic proportions and pose a huge threat to children, families and communities throughout Essex County. Keynote speaker Timothy Lawrence, a Lynn firefighter who lost his daughter Kathleen to a heroin overdose in 2003, talked about the difficulty parents have when confronting their children on drug use. "We love our kids so much that we can't see it," Lawrence said. He saw his daughter change and her school grades drop, but he wasn't sure what to do. He urged parents in the audience to go with their parental instincts. "If you feel something isn't right, then you are probably right," he told them. Lawrence believes there has to be something different about people who fall into additions more readily than others. He said that he tried everything as a parent, but still found no answers. "I really do believe that prevention early on would have made a difference in my family," he said. Lynn Police Officer Larry Wentzell made a case for drug education in the public schools. Wentzell talked about the Florida Marlins' top 2003 draft pick, Jeff Allison, from Peabody. Allison was hospitalized after he overdosed on heroin in July 2004. "For every Jeff Allison there are a thousand other kids with his problem," Wentzell said. "No kids think that it's (addiction) going to happen to them." Wentzell held up a photograph of Allison and showed it to the audience. "This is the face of heroin and OxyContin addiction," Wentzell said. "Not a face you would think of." He said he hopes Allison realizes that this addiction is a lifelong battle. Wentzell echoed Lawrence's advice and urged parents to be vigilant. "Be aware of your own kids," Wentzell said. He cautioned parents not to talk down to kids and not to preach, but instead to talk with them straight and to give them the facts. "It always comes down to choices. Let's just help them make the right choices," he said. George Festa, director of the federal New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, said low prices and high purity of heroin have fueled the recent epidemic. The highest percentage of pure heroin is in the Northeast, he said. Heroin is between 60 to 90 percent pure in Massachusetts compared to other areas in the country, in which average purity is 35 percent. Festa also urged the audience to remember that heroin users affect families and communities. "There are no easy answers to this problem, but there is much we can do," Festa said. "We must work together to control this problem." Panel speaker Dr. Ronald Freid said OxyContin is worth more on the streets than heroin. A milligram of OxyContin costs $80 and a bag of heroin costs $4. It doesn't take long to make that transition from OxyContin to heroin, Freid said. Dr. Stephen K. Valle, president of AdCare Criminal Justice Services, said studies show that treatment does work. "Recovery from addiction is attainable," said Valle. He said in 2004 there were 5,000 admissions for treatment in this region, one-third of the admissions were female and two-thirds were male and the mean age was 32 years. The final speaker of the summit was Clay Yeager, director of Community Partnerships for Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin. "Mother Teresa dealt with children dying of starvation from malnutrition," Yeager said. "Children in our country are dying of starvation of the heart." Yeager highlighted the role parents need to play in preventing drug use. Two-thirds of parents on any given day do not know where their children are and what they are doing, he said. "If we don't know where our kids are and who they are with, then we are in trouble," Yeager said. Yeager said children want somebody to hold out expectations, hopes, and to define behavior for them. He also said children need a sense of attachment and a sense of belonging. He warned against giving kids mixed messages - such as telling a 14-year-old not to do heroin, but then giving him a keg of beer for a weekend party. "The secret to prevention is having someone that does not give up on you," Yeager said. "Every kid in this community needs somebody who is crazy about them." Yeager wrapped up the summit by giving the spectators hope in bringing an end to the heroin/opiate epidemic. "You have enriched lives because you are here today ready to give back," Yeager said. "To give back to kids who have no one." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake