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Small-Town America Deals with Heroin Problem
June 9, 2003

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News Summary

Small towns in the Midwest are looking for ways to address a rise in heroin use among young people, the Chicago Tribune reported May 9.

In Lexington, Ohio, for example, the adult sons of Steve and Chris Thomas have stolen more than $50,000 from the family business to support their heroin addiction. Mark Thomas, 22, and Matt Thomas, 18, were arraigned on felony drug-possession charges. The next day, Mark was back to using heroin.

"I don't know what we're going to do," said Chris Thomas.

The family is one of many in the region with children addicted to heroin. Hospitals and drug counselors report an alarming increase in overdoses in small communities throughout the Midwest. According to law-enforcement officials, the heroin market has expanded beyond the typical clientele.

"All of a sudden it blossomed," said Capt. Robert McLaughlin of the Huron County Sheriff's Department. "We're up to our eyeballs in it."

The region of Ohio seeing the highest rise in heroin use is located within the urban triangle of Detroit, Cleveland, and Columbus. The areas are more vulnerable to drug trafficking because of their easy access to several major highways.

Mansfield Police Chief Phil Messer, who leads a 10-county drug task force called METRICH, said the price of heroin is dropping, while the availability and purity of the drug is rising.

"The feds are claiming there are more drugs being seized at the border. But we haven't seen the effects of that locally. We haven't seen a spike in prices that would occur if interdiction efforts were working," Messer said. "The availability is increasing. We're seeing a lot of young people -- high-school kids -- using heroin."

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