http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/heroin-growing-popularity-suburban-areas/nkgk9/
Drugs enforcement officials in Cherokee County tell Channel 2 Action News they expect to make a record number of heroin seizures this year.
In the past week, they have arrested two men and a woman for possession and sale of heroin.
"The numbers are way up. We have more heroin addicts in treatment. It's a perfect storm of events. An increase in availability, an increase in demand, and a community that's seeking out a replacement for the painkillers we've made harder to get on the street," said Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad Commander Phil Price.
Price told Channel 2's Tom Regan that since January, drug agents have seized over $8,400 worth of heroin. In contrast, in 2014, agents seized $11,000 for the entire year.
"From a law enforcement standpoint, we've made this our number one priority," said Price.
As seizures rise, so, too, do the number of overdose emergencies and deaths. The director of the Cherokee County Fire Department Paramedic Unit told Regan that responders have used an overdose antidote called Naloxone on over 30 patients so far this year. The medicated nasal spray gets into the blood stream and reverses the depressive effects of heroin on the heart and lungs.
Drug treatment counselors say an overdose is often triggered when heroin is mixed with other compounds, including Fentanyl, a powerful narcotic painkiller.
"You may have mild dose one day, and the next, a very potent dose your body can't handle," said drug treatment counselor Grace Price.
Price said many people are drawn to heroin because it does not carry the stigma of a "dirty drug" as it did in the 1960s and 1970s. She said young adults also seem to ignore the danger, despite the soaring numbers of overdose deaths.
"They always think it's not going to happen to me. I'm going to be different. I know what I'm doing," said Price.
Drugs enforcement officials in Cherokee County tell Channel 2 Action News they expect to make a record number of heroin seizures this year.
In the past week, they have arrested two men and a woman for possession and sale of heroin.
"The numbers are way up. We have more heroin addicts in treatment. It's a perfect storm of events. An increase in availability, an increase in demand, and a community that's seeking out a replacement for the painkillers we've made harder to get on the street," said Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad Commander Phil Price.
Price told Channel 2's Tom Regan that since January, drug agents have seized over $8,400 worth of heroin. In contrast, in 2014, agents seized $11,000 for the entire year.
"From a law enforcement standpoint, we've made this our number one priority," said Price.
As seizures rise, so, too, do the number of overdose emergencies and deaths. The director of the Cherokee County Fire Department Paramedic Unit told Regan that responders have used an overdose antidote called Naloxone on over 30 patients so far this year. The medicated nasal spray gets into the blood stream and reverses the depressive effects of heroin on the heart and lungs.
Drug treatment counselors say an overdose is often triggered when heroin is mixed with other compounds, including Fentanyl, a powerful narcotic painkiller.
"You may have mild dose one day, and the next, a very potent dose your body can't handle," said drug treatment counselor Grace Price.
Price said many people are drawn to heroin because it does not carry the stigma of a "dirty drug" as it did in the 1960s and 1970s. She said young adults also seem to ignore the danger, despite the soaring numbers of overdose deaths.
"They always think it's not going to happen to me. I'm going to be different. I know what I'm doing," said Price.
