Pubdate: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 Source: News of Delaware County (PA) Copyright: 2006 News of Delaware County Contact: http://www.newsofdelawarecounty.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3948 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) DRUG WAR TAKES THE BATTLE INTO OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD There's a war claiming casualties each week and it's not in Iraq. It's right here in the United States of America. It's right here in Delaware County. It's called the drug war. And anyone will tell you, we're losing it. Long after we pull out of Iraq, we'll still be fighting this one. Currently, Delaware County officials are battling some bad batches of heroin. Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs are famous for a strong heroin market. And that's not something we should be proud of. We should also be aware that cocaine use is rampant. A surge in heroin-related deaths that has been affecting communities in the Northeast and cities as far west as Chicago has also hit Delaware County, officials report. Many of the overdoses have involved a dangerous mixture of heroin with the pain killer fentanyl, prompting county medical examiner Fredric N. Hellman to issue a statement recently calling the trend a "significant health issue." One 19-year-old victim was found unconscious in a home in Drexel Hill May 28. "Since March 11 of this year, we've had at least six drug-related overdoses; most of which is heroin," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. "We've seen the heroin is being cut with this highly-toxic drug called fentanyl." And the casualties continue. Heroin-related deaths were reported in Chester over the weekend. Who's next? Who cares, right? It's just another junkie. According to a 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, the most recent available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2.9 million Americans reported using heroin at least once in their lives, and 663,000 reported using within the past year. And of those, perhaps some are teenagers trying heroin for the first time because a buddy suggests it. That's a sobering thought. Especially since we have a lot of kids with a lot of time on their hands this summer. There are also many smart drug dealers who are quite adept at roping in new addicts. They know the first taste of heroin is euphoric. Believe it or not, heroin is so addictive it might not take much more than one taste. And all too quickly, the drug turns from euphoric to nothing more than a way to keep the user from becoming violently ill. It's not pretty. And we shouldn't ignore it. We should find a way to stem the tide. Two things can help: teamwork and battling several drugs like meth, cocaine, crack and ecstasy. If businesses don't sell the legal ingredients known to be used to manufacture the drugs, dealers will have a harder time. A main weakness of our ongoing war on drugs has been our primary emphasis on only one side of the drug abuse equation -- supply, rather than go right to what is likely the real issue - demand. The only real way to reduce the actual incidence of drug abuse is by an overall reduction in the consumption of drugs by the total population and by less tolerance of abuse. All of us can help in many ways. Spend time with your child. Report what you think may be a drug house. Report who you think might be a dealer, whether it's at the mall or in your neighborhood. In 2004, 2.4 million persons 12 and older initiated non-medical uses of pain relievers, such as OxyContin, Darvocet and Percocet, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Applied Studies. When you don't need a painkiller anymore, don't save them for a rainy day. Flush 'em. And remember not to drive. Last year, a Marple man was fatally hit while riding his motorcycle by a woman, reportedly using prescription drugs. The man's death is a drug-related casualty. We need to stem the tide. We all need to admit that drugs are readily accessible throughout Delaware County, in our schools, in our malls. They're just a cell phone call away. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman