This past year I have known several people in Monroe who have died of heroin overdose. My community is now a "hub of heroin trafficking" (see here - and, we knew this young man - he used to come to Redeemer).
"Ryan [Barath] is just one of 19 heroin and opioid related deaths in Monroe last year.
Michigan State Police say use of the highly-addictive drug has been rapidly increasing because it's cheap and easy to get.
Monroe is located between Toledo and Detroit and is being called a hub for heroin trafficking.
Lt. Tony Cuevas says an undercover drug unit called Mantis was started last year.
"Our location is unique, because we are in between two metropolitan areas and we do get a lot of traffic."
Already this year Mantis has investigated 24 cases of heroin trafficking in Monroe.
"We are focusing our efforts out on 1-75 and US-23 to try to combat some of these drug trafficking issues," says Cuevas."
Monroe "currently has the highest heroin addiction per capita rate in the state." (See "New Article Highlights A Forever Recovery’s Plans to Stem & Stop Heroin Addiction in Monroe, MI.")
See:
"New, troubling heroin addiction trend grips southeast Michigan" (Detroit Free Press)
This is from whitehouse.gov. -
Michigan At-a-Glance:
The number of meth lab seizure incidents in Michigan increased 290%, from 174 incidents in 2007 to 679 incidents in 2009, according to the El Paso Intelligence Center’s National Seizure System (EPIC-NSS).
Approximately 9 percent of Michigan residents reported past-month use of illicit drugs; the national average was 8 percent.
The rate of drug-induced deaths in Michigan exceeds the national average.
