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Heroin Won't Win In Cherokee
Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 12:00 am--By Erika Neldner
Click For ledgernews.com Article



A drug that once was known to be popular among addicts mainly in urban areas is being used by teens and adults right here in Cherokee County.

The face of heroin has changed – it’s no longer just the prostitute’s or pimp’s drug. It’s no longer only associated with the dilapidated drug houses in urban areas. It’s now the straight-A student, it’s the boy next door and the medical professional.

It’s right here in the bedroom community of Cherokee County, and if we hide behind wanting to be a perfect little community, we’re going to let heroin win.

Heroin is an opiate, derived from the poppy plant. It dates back to the 1800s when opium itself was popular. It was brought to the U.S. by the Chinese who came to work on the railroads, according to Narconon.

And, it’s one of the cheaper drugs, making it more accessible to young adults.

It’s also a drug that causes severe mental and physical dependency, causing the user to need more and more as the addiction takes hold, and overcoming that addiction can be painful, according to Narconon.

The good news in Cherokee is that law enforcement officials, when it comes to sales, aren’t seeing heroin as much as other drugs. The bad news is they are dealing with the after effects of use, including overdoses.

Phil Price, commander of the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad, told the Ledger-News for last month’s entry in the “Knowledge is Power” series that heroin isn’t the most prevalent drug they deal with. But, what drug agents are noticing is more heroin use than in previous years.

A Cherokee Sheriff’s Office veteran and former narcotics agent told us that recent heroin cases is the most he’s seen in his 20-plus year career with the local agency.

More prevalent heroin use has led to the majority of law enforcement agencies and fire departments carrying nasal-administered Naxolone, a drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. Paramedics in Cherokee have been administering Naxolone intravenously for years.

But, the first responders initially on scene usually are police officers, and the majority of them on the roads now are equipped to save someone from an opioid-related overdose, whether it’s prescription pain killers or heroin. In addition, before paramedics are allowed on the scene of a possible overdose, police must clear the scene to ensure it’s safe.

What public safety officials have witnessed over the last year is an increased number of overdoses. This is something Price attributes to people purchasing heroin in Atlanta and returning home to Cherokee to use it.

When first responders arrive to a call of a possible overdose, they find a victim unresponsive and sometimes with a needle in his/her arm. The body is blue from the chest up. The drug has shut the body down, and breaths can be as few as one every minute or longer.

Naxolone can revive a person like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. They awake sometimes with no recollection of what happened to them. Sometimes they awake with such energy that they’re ready to fight.

But, no one wants to find their loved ones in this condition, so it’s important to recognize the signs of the drug use and get them help before it’s too late. This especially is important for parents.

Teens are moody beings, but parents know their children and if you suspect drug use (heroin or anything else) look for resources. Get them tested and get them the help they need. True addiction will need professional help.

For heroin use specifically, recognize signs of being more laid back or slower than normal. According to Narconon, someone who uses heroin will act dopier than normal. Their pupils will constrict and won’t respond to light.

Other physical signs include: runny nose or constant sniffling, slurred speech, very little motivation and hostility toward others.

While heroin can be an intravenous drug (look for track marks on the arms, hands, legs and feet), it also can be smoked or snorted.

Look for a change in groups of friends and recognize a sudden need for money. If your child or loved one is finding the need to sell things quickly, in addition to showing other signs of drug abuse, take note and get involved.

Some recent research indicates that heroin use sometimes is preceded by opioid prescription drug abuse.

Pill makers are reformulating, keeping pills from being crushed, and, heroin simply is cheaper to buy on the streets than drugs like Oxycontin now that law enforcement has cracked down on pill mills.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, when the access to prescription drugs ends, an opening to heroin may appear, and it reports that nearly half of young people who have said they injected heroine reported abusing prescription drugs prior.

While it’s still important to keep all prescription drugs out of reach of children and teens, it’s imperative to pay attention to someone who may show signs of addiction from a doctor-prescribed pain medication after an injury or surgery. When that prescription runs out and a person is addicted, they may find other means to satisfy the need.

There are many resources available and information is so plentiful on the Internet that you can get bogged down. So, throughout this year, we will ferret out information on different topics related to heroin, laws and rehabilitation resources and bring them to you the last Wednesday of every month.

We want Cherokee County to continue to be a safe and friendly community, and we are taking a stand to keep heroin from winning.





TRUTH