[StBernard] More potent heroin a real danger

[Westley Annis]

More potent heroin a real danger 

08:38 PM CDT on Friday, June 19, 2009

 Paul Murphy / Eyewitness News

pmurphy at wwltv.com 


The billboard on the highway leading out of St. Bernard Parish reads, "Drugs
Kill." 

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.