Afghan heroin's surge poses danger in U.S. - Rapidly overtaking Mexican heroin

[NNN0LHI]

http://ktla.trb.com/news/la-me-heroin26dec26,0,2458988.story?coll=ktla-news-1

The 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-ccb02c0b2262

Potent 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.

[IntravenousDemilo]

1. It's time for Big Pharma to get involved, I guess...

We should be paying the farmers in Afghanistan to grow poppies in exchange for exclusive sales (at a fair price) to any legitimate pharmaceutical companies willing to buy opium and opiates in order to produce medicines. Get the farmers locked into long-term partnership contracts with Big Pharma, as long as they're going to grow poppies anyway. If the companies get all the product from the farmers, there will be less and less available for conversion into heroin.

It is absolutely vital, by the way, for western governments to get involved as well, in order to serve as brokers between the companies and the farmers, and to oversee and regulate the process and pricing. This is particularly true for those western countries that have a national health care system -- inexpensive opiates for the public!

So the farmers will receive a decent living, Big Pharma has a source of raw opium, and the people get cheap medicine. I see absolutely no one losing from this arrangement except for the drug-lords.

[NNN0LHI]

2. I think Big Pharma has pretty much switched over to synthetic narcotics these days

Puts the entire legal narcotic operation into their hands that way.

Don

[KamaAina]

3. Good thing we've got the situation over there under control

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: