Its a significant problem here in Wisconsin too (heroin) and was a main platform item in the State AG race here.
Mark Belling (fills in for Rush) last summer mentioned during his local show how surprised he was about how much heroin issues he was hearing about early in one show. The next two hours were listeners of his either parents, recovering addicts or current addicts talking about the death or destruction heroin is having on their children’s lives.
Mark was so shocked that he spent the next day talking about what we’re trying to do to fight it.
As the parent of 4 kids I was utterly shocked at how prevalent it has become.
Society, by giving its official unction to drugs by way of legalizing marijuana to gather in tax revenue, is betraying its youth.
Heroin is a huge problem in SW PA as well.
My youngest graduated from HS last spring...his school was dubbed “heroin high” by neighboring districts (I heard it my self at his sporting events). I’m talking suburban district w/a big influx of two professionals in the family, half million dollar neighborhoods (being built on farm lands). A teacher was ARRESTED last year for selling (off campus—not to her HS students) stamp bags.
Our township was somewhat rural when we moved here thirty years ago. It’s now a suburb, with some very low income and (newer) higher income areas. The mix of economics I think has contributed to the problem.
When I go for a walk in my neighborhood I have seen needles on the street (our neighborhood is a “pass thru” to a major thorofare. when our home was broken into in 2014, the responding officer shrugged and said “probably a junkie.” In addition to rifling thru drawers, they went thru medicine cabinets.
And finally, and this has happened numerous times, our local tv (Pittsburgh) issued WARNINGS that a particular type heroin, currently circulating, is laced with (fill in blank) and is x times more potent than “regular” heroin and x number of people have overdosed and/or died. It’s an epidemic. I don’t know the answer.