http://ktla.trb.com/news/la-me-heroin26dec26,0,2458988.story?coll=ktla-news-1The world's purest form can kill more addicts, as seen in L.A. County.
By Garrett Therolf, Times Staff Writer
December 26, 2006
Supplies of highly potent Afghan heroin in the United States are growing so fast that the pure white powder is rapidly overtaking lower-quality Mexican heroin, prompting fears of increased addiction and overdoses.
Heroin-related deaths in Los Angeles County soared from 137 in 2002 to 239 in 2005, a jump of nearly 75% in three years, a period when other factors contributing to overdose deaths remained unchanged, experts said. The jump in deaths was especially prevalent among users older than 40, who lack the resilience to recover from an overdose of unexpectedly strong heroin, according to a study by the county's Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology.
"The rise of heroin from Afghanistan is our biggest rising threat in the fight against narcotics," said Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino. "We are seeing more seizures and more overdoses."
According to a Drug Enforcement Administration report obtained by The Times, Afghanistan's poppy fields have become the fastest-growing source of heroin in the United States. Its share of the U.S. market doubled from 7% in 2001, the year U.S. forces overthrew the Taliban, to 14% in 2004, the latest year studied. Another DEA report, released in October, said the 14% actually could be significantly higher.
Poppy production in Afghanistan jumped significantly after the 2001 U.S. invasion destabilized an already shaky economy, leading farmers to turn to the opium market to survive.
http://www.kget.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=b0c1d26a-c6ee-4385-a7b8-ccb02c0b2262Potent Afghan heroin may be to blame for soaring heroin deaths
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Heroin-related deaths have soared nearly 75 percent in Los Angeles County for the last three years and experts believe potent Afghan heroin may be to blame.
Supplies of heroin from Afghanistan are growing fast and overtaking the Mexican variety.
Experts say heroin-related deaths in the county spiked between 2002 and 2005, a period when other factors adding to overdose deaths stayed the same.