Jared Arriaga
Once this substance is created, smugglers transport the drug either by boat to ports in Mexico or in truckloads up through the other South American countries into Mexico. Once safely in the hands of cartels in Mexico it is transported over the U.S. border, which is possible due to corruption, pay-offs, and strategically placed hiding spots throughout the transporting vehicles. Once over the border, shipments are brought to major cities such as Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, and Boston. Local gangs and drug dealers then distribute the heroin into the smaller neighboring cities.
In 2001, heroin overdoses seemed to be at an all time high of nearly 2,000 overdoses nationally. Little did we know by 2013 those numbers would skyrocket to almost 8,000 a year. With the death toll rising so do the questions: Where is this killer coming from? How is getting into our cities and towns? And why is it so appealing to high school students?
Studies by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed that most of the heroin that is sold in the United States originates back to the poppy flower fields of Colombia. Workers will mix raw opium scraped out of poppy pods with calcium and hot water in large barrels. Several binding chemicals are added over a long process of heating and mixing. Eventually this process amounts to the white powdery substance known as heroin to most, China white, skag and horse to others.
Once this substance is created, smugglers transport the drug either by boat to ports in Mexico or in truckloads up through the other South American countries into Mexico. Once safely in the hands of cartels in Mexico it is transported over the U.S. border, which is possible due to corruption, pay-offs, and strategically placed hiding spots throughout the transporting vehicles. Once over the border, shipments are brought to major cities such as Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, and Boston. Local gangs and drug dealers then distribute the heroin into the smaller neighboring cities.
Heroin has become a major problem in Massachusetts, mainly because it is cheap and highly addictive. It is not as expensive as cocaine, marijuana and other drugs. It captivates high school students because it is in their "budget" which typically is not that high. Heroin usage and overdoses are also exacerbated by the opioid epidemic. Typically, youths and adults alike initially get hooked on widely distributed painkillers such as Percocet and OxyContin and then turn to heroin for a cheaper, and sometimes more easily accessible, substitute. Lynn has had the highest rate of overdoses this past year with 27, followed by Haverhill with 19. Surrounding cities like Lawrence had ten, Methuen with seven, and Andover/North Andover both had one.
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