DEA seeks to raise awareness about growing heroin problem
http://abc7chicago.com/news/dea-seeks-to-raise-awareness-about-growing-heroin-problem/1517935/
“One out of five, when the peer pressure hits, tries it. And then that person who tries it, one out of four is immediately addicted. That’s how scary this is,” Wichern said.
It would appear that the FEDS are renewed strategy is identifying the links between prescription drug addiction and heroin use… Does this suggest that they have little/no clear evidence of a sold link between legal prescriptions and addiction ?
They claim that 10,000 die from Heroin overdose but “We have more people die from drug overdose deaths than automobile accidents,” BUT. .what are the OTHER DRUGS that causing the other 30K – 40K deaths… only made public on a NEED TO KNOW BASIS and the public don’t need to know ?
Heroin poses a serious threat in the U.S., causing an increasing number of overdose deaths, according to data released Monday by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
A large stack of data in the newly released National Heroin Threat Assessment shows new trends that federal drug agents are seeing. As a result, DEA agents hope to increase awareness about the heroin problem.
“We have more people die from drug overdose deaths than automobile accidents,” said Dennis Wichern, Chicago DEA special agent in charge.
The astounding statistics were collected from the last few years and shows that more than 10,000 Americans died from heroin-related overdoses in 2014 — more than triple compared to 2010. The drug is now available in larger quantities and is being used by more people.
“Two people every day die in Chicagoland and Cook County from a drug overdose, either from heroin or some other drug,” Wichern said. “In the collar counties, approximately one person dies every three days from either a heroin or an opioid overdose,” Wichern said.
In fact, he says when it come heroin and opioid, the Chicago region had the second-highest user problem in the country in 2012. Part of the federal government’s renewed strategy is identifying the links between prescription drug addiction and heroin use.
“It starts with the painkiller and the belief that this pill, made by a pharmaceutical company, is better and safer and less addictive,” Wichern said. “Once you’re addicted, you can no longer afford the cost of it because the heroin, eventually, is cheaper than that prescription painkiller.”
For Chicago agents, heroin is now their No. 1 priority. Wichern said he wants everyone, especially parents, to know that heroin has one of the highest addiction rates.
“One out of five, when the peer pressure hits, tries it. And then that person who tries it, one out of four is immediately addicted. That’s how scary this is,” Wichern said.
The Northeast and Midwest were two regions with the highest threat, according to the National Heroin Threat Assessment.
All 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices will be getting a memo from the U.S. Justice Department urging prosecutors to more readily share information across state lines to identify traffickers and trafficking routes more quickly.
Filed under: General Problems
The DEA doesn’t want the public to know the actual overdose deaths facts because if the public had all this information it would show how this ass backwards government agency invents their own statistics to manipulate laws in their favor. They also have created their own vocabulary and terminology inorder to make the illegal prescription drug usage numbers seem extremely high to create a national panic. The DEA’S actions are not about regulation of prescription opiates and other drugs, they are not even about fighting the illegal drug trade. They are all about funding and keeping their jobs. The bigger they can make problems look the more money they can get Congress to feed into their incompetent agency. The entire federal government needs total restructuring from the very top down and that includes non elected government employees. FIRE THEM ALL AND START OVER AGAIN.
Ditto Mr.Doug,,,I am willing to bet my farm,,,that the dea idiots who got thrown out of South America fore human rites violation back in 2002,,,r the same ones who started going after us,,,who created this ,”witch hunt,” for thee exact reason u state!!maryw
Ill tell u what,,living in my younger days in a suburb 5 minutes outside of chi-town,,,going to catholic school in Chicago,,,its a heck of a lot more then 2 day,,,back in the early 80’s u would see people strung out or dead on the streets every day on Rush Street,,,Caprini Greens,,,,now this was in the 80’s,,,,soo again their numbers are a lie,,,heroin od’s in chi-town have ALWAYS BEEN THERE,,,just another propaganda tool!!!
Just curious as to what prescription medication they could blame on the high heroin abuse rates (along with illicitly-produced fentanyl – well before “the patch” was made available for palliative care at home) back in the 70’s? Seriously, they try and pretend high heroin abuse rates have never existed prior to now. If their silly little “gateway” theory had any truth to it, then what prescription medication was the “gateway” to alcoholism? Crack addiction? Meth addiction? MDMA?
“The drug is now available in larger quantities and is being used by more people.”
Hmmm, maybe that should give our elected officials a huge clue as to how much the DEA has failed in these ridiculous drug wars. Something like $50 trillion has been spent (wasted) on the DEA since they were first established (early 70’s)… and all we have to show for it is a sh*t-load of meth, heroin, and illicitly-produced fentanyl on our streets. Great job, DEA!
AMEN!! COULDN’T AGREE W/U MORE,,, u outlaw kratom,,dea has just created another black market,,,what idiots,,,but on our dime,,,its needs to stop,,,defund dea!!!!MARY