Despite Heroin Busts, Drug Still a Problem
By Sean Stillmaker in News on Aug 15, 2010 4:00PM
Last week 29 people were charged with heroin related offenses. Some of those arrested were a part of the New Breeds street gang that has a lock on heroin sales in an area bordered by Pulaski, Congress, Kostner and Jackson. The gang was allegedly making $10,000 a day off the drug trade. At least $1.2 million in heroin, 13 guns and $350,000 were seized, according to the Sun Times.
This recent arrest highlights Chicago’s epidemic problem with heroin. In June Roosevelt University released a study that ranked Chicago as the number one city in the U.S. for heroin use. The results were based on people going to hospital emergency rooms for heroin problems. Between 2004-08 there were 23,931 cases, 50 percent more than New York, which ranked second.
Heroin overdoses in Cook County were down 16 percent during the last decade, however. The likely contributing factor is the legalization of the prescription drug naloxone, which reverses the effects of overdoses and has been used heavily by the Chicago Recovery Alliance. Since 2001 the group had 2,000 reports of overdose reversals because of using naloxone. The Chicago Recovery Alliance has a fleet of silver panel trucks that are parked in designated spots around the city every day. The trucks offer free HIV testing, addiction treatment, water, syringes and condoms.