phr
Bluelighter
More potent heroin a real danger
Paul Murphy
Eyewitness News
6.19.09
The billboard on the highway leading out of St. Bernard Parish reads, "Drugs Kill."
Video: Watch the Story
It's a warning to would-be drug users heading into New Orleans to buy heroin.
St. Bernard Chief Deputy Jimmy Pohlmann says his narcotics officers have noticed heroin is now more popular and more accessible than illegal prescription drugs.
"We're seeing another spike in heroin overdoses here recently in St. Bernard Parish," he said. "In a month we had about 10 cases of overdoses, one resulted in death. Most of them we believe are heroin overdoses."
Recently, St. Bernard deputies made what they call a monitoring buy to check the purity of the heroin, now on the streets.
Chief Pohlmann says the purity of the drug was off the charts and some users are finding out the hard way.
"They might be accustomed to shooting a certain dosage of heroin and have the effect of just getting high," said Pohlmann. "If you use the same dosage, but it's a very pure heroin that's out on the street right now, can cause death."
St. Bernard and New Orleans share a common border and a common drug problem.
NOPD Deputy Chief James Scott says when it comes to heroin, you never know what you're buying.
"If there's anyone that's thinking about purchasing heroin on the city streets of New Orleans, they have to realize it could be 2 percent, it could be 10 percent heroin, it could be 20 percent heroin. It just depends on how much they cut it down," said Scott. "Their life depends on that heroin not being pure and there's no control on it whatsoever."
Deputies say there is some evidence the increase in heroin use is fueling some of the recent violence in the area.
"Some of our post interviews of our arrested subjects and heroin addicts, they're telling us that the drug dealers in the Ninth Ward and other areas across the region prefer to have weapons if they're going to do any trade, property for drugs," said Pohlmann.
"Anytime we have any information on heroin distribution, that's our priority target over any other drugs what-so-ever because of the violence associated with it and the demand for it and the fact that it's out there," said Scott.
Chief Scott says heroin is now the third most popular drug in New Orleans behind marijuana and crack cocaine.
He says heroin started to spike in the city earlier this year because of a cocaine shortage brought on by the recent drug wars in Mexico.
Chief Polhmann in St. Bernard says with heroin, comes an increase in burglaries...addicts breaking into homes and cars looking for guns and other valuables.
Link!
Paul Murphy
Eyewitness News
6.19.09
The billboard on the highway leading out of St. Bernard Parish reads, "Drugs Kill."
Video: Watch the Story
It's a warning to would-be drug users heading into New Orleans to buy heroin.
St. Bernard Chief Deputy Jimmy Pohlmann says his narcotics officers have noticed heroin is now more popular and more accessible than illegal prescription drugs.
"We're seeing another spike in heroin overdoses here recently in St. Bernard Parish," he said. "In a month we had about 10 cases of overdoses, one resulted in death. Most of them we believe are heroin overdoses."
Recently, St. Bernard deputies made what they call a monitoring buy to check the purity of the heroin, now on the streets.
Chief Pohlmann says the purity of the drug was off the charts and some users are finding out the hard way.
"They might be accustomed to shooting a certain dosage of heroin and have the effect of just getting high," said Pohlmann. "If you use the same dosage, but it's a very pure heroin that's out on the street right now, can cause death."
St. Bernard and New Orleans share a common border and a common drug problem.
NOPD Deputy Chief James Scott says when it comes to heroin, you never know what you're buying.
"If there's anyone that's thinking about purchasing heroin on the city streets of New Orleans, they have to realize it could be 2 percent, it could be 10 percent heroin, it could be 20 percent heroin. It just depends on how much they cut it down," said Scott. "Their life depends on that heroin not being pure and there's no control on it whatsoever."
Deputies say there is some evidence the increase in heroin use is fueling some of the recent violence in the area.
"Some of our post interviews of our arrested subjects and heroin addicts, they're telling us that the drug dealers in the Ninth Ward and other areas across the region prefer to have weapons if they're going to do any trade, property for drugs," said Pohlmann.
"Anytime we have any information on heroin distribution, that's our priority target over any other drugs what-so-ever because of the violence associated with it and the demand for it and the fact that it's out there," said Scott.
Chief Scott says heroin is now the third most popular drug in New Orleans behind marijuana and crack cocaine.
He says heroin started to spike in the city earlier this year because of a cocaine shortage brought on by the recent drug wars in Mexico.
Chief Polhmann in St. Bernard says with heroin, comes an increase in burglaries...addicts breaking into homes and cars looking for guns and other valuables.
Link!
