Source: Waco TribuneHerald Contact: Pubdate: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 Page: 1A FAX: (254) 7570302 I35 PIPELINE FUELS HEROIN'S RETURN TO TEXAS STREETS By Brian Anderson, TribuneHerald staff writer An old drug is making a new comeback on the streets of Texas, pushing up profits for dealers and leaving a trail of death in its wake. Heroin has reemerged as an alternative to cocaine, the drug that has all but dominated the narcotics trade for years. "The people dealing cocaine have discovered they can make as much money or more selling heroin," said Cal Luedke, commander of the Agriplex Drug Task Force, an interagency group of law officers that targets narcotics activity in a sixcounty Central Texas area. Luedke said heroin trafficking is on the increase in Texas with Interstate 35 serving as a major pipeline for drug shipments originating in Columbia and entering the United States through Mexico. Officials said Central and South American drug cartels have overrun the heroin trade, a market once dominated by Asian suppliers. "The border has opened up. What's not stopping here is going straight north to Chicago and the Midwest," Luedke said. Three years ago, heroin first began its comeback in the Northeast, flooding the illegal markets in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Newark, N.J. Overdoses Return The heroin shipments, much purer than those of previous years, sparked a rash of drugrelated deaths in the Northeast, officials said. The heroin, sometimes as much as 97 percent pure, was simply too potent for many drug users to tolerate. The deadly trend found its way to Texas this year, where at least 12 deaths in the Dallas suburb of Plano have been attributed to heroin overdoses. The victms, mostly teenagers, died after inhaling the drug, a practice youngsters are convinced is safer than using a needle. Four men were arrested Sunday for allegedly supplying the Plano area with the dangerously pure heroin. '75 Percent Pure' "The significant aspect of these arrests is the fact that these individuals were distributing at the street level 75 percent pure heroin," said Michael S. Vigil, assistant special agent in charge for the Dallas division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "Normally, street level heroin is between 3 (percent) and 7 percent pure. So what was taking place is that you had kids that were using this heroin at this purity level. They had no tolerance to it and this translated into a very hideous death, namely respiratory asphyxiation." Though several drug treatment centers in Waco have reported increases in the number of patients seeking care for heroin addiction, Luedke said the local heroin situation has yet to reach drastic proportions. Keeping A Close Watch "I don't know of any overdoses here where we have had deaths, but it's definetly on the increase," Luedke said. "It's not an epidemic yet, but it's something we have to look at real close. It's scary." Gerald Elliott, program manager for Waco's Freeman Center, estimated that the number of heroin addicts seeking treatment at his facility has grown 10 to 15 percent over the past year. Changing The Fix "Part of that is that (intravenous) drug usage isn't what it used to be," Elliott said, noting that the threat of spreading bloodborne diseases, such as AIDS, has prompted many drug users to find alternative ways for getting their fix. Officials said the purer form of heroin has gained popularity because users need less of it to get high and they can inject it. "The only difference now is they are snorting it like cocaine. Previously, they shot it put it in their arms. The times have changed for that. Everyone is worried about the needles," Luedke said. Drug Cocktail Elliot said many addicts are using heroin in combination with other drugs. Many people are using cocaine and heroin together, while others are smoking the heroin with marijuana. The Associated Press contributed to this story.