The purity of heroin deals sold on the streets of Tayside has rocketed in recent years — putting users at a greater risk than ever of a fatal overdose.

Warning to heroin smokers

Abusers are currently buying the drug at about 50% purity, according to research carried out by the region’s police force.
The worrying trend was revealed as the Executive launched a campaign to raise awareness among thousands of young people who are getting hooked on heroin because they mistakenly believe smoking it is safe.

Authorities say there is a widely-believed myth that so-called “chasing the dragon” is not addictive. The reality is that seven out of 10 heroin users start out smoking the drug.
The head of Tayside’s drug squad, Detective Inspector Campbell McGregor, said today, “Heroin is a dangerous drug, and, as the saying goes, smoking kills.
“With the glut in the world market there is an increase in purity, so with taking the smoke into your system there is a greater chance of overdose.
“What we are seeing from our analysis of recovered heroin is that the percentage purity of the end user deals is increasing.
“You are now looking at just short of 50%, when about two to three years ago it was about 30%. Going back to the 80s it would have been more like 15%.”
The other 50% is being made up of anything from cocoa powder to paracetamol and even other kinds of opiate-type drug, the analysis has found.

Children as young as 13 are being targeted by the new Executive campaign, in the hope that they can be steered away from the risks.
However, the message is mainly aimed at 16 to 19-year-olds, the age group first coming into contact with heroin in Tayside.
The head of the drug squad revealed, “We haven’t come across anyone under-16 that has been using heroin, although of course that’s not to say it hasn’t happened.”

Recent figures showed there were 51,582 drug addicts in Scotland in 2003/4.
Of those attending drug services for treatment, 7813 people were on heroin, with a massive 72% of those aged under 20 claiming they only smoked the drug and had never injected it.
Central to the campaign is a television advert which opens with a young man smoking heroin in his comfortable flat.
As he continues to breathe in the drug things begin to change.
His possessions start to disappear and his appearance becomes dishevelled.
The closing image shows the man staring at a needle, realising he has lost everything and is addicted to the drug.
“It is a myth to say that smoking it isn’t addictive — heroin is an addictive drug,” continued Detective Inspector McGregor.
“You get some people who say they can control their addiction, even professionals who say they only use it every couple of days or whatever.
“But from everything we see, it’s addictive and it causes misery.

“A lot of the people we are dealing with are into shoplifting, car crime, prostitution, credit card fraud and breaking into houses.”

Steven Bell
9 August 2005

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2005/08/09/story7418744t0.shtm

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