Benjamin Gilman: “In recent years, while cocaine abuse has leveled off, heroin use once again is rapidly on the rise. Today's heroin from…”

“In recent years, while cocaine abuse has leveled off, heroin use once again is rapidly on the rise. Today's heroin from abroad is cheaper, purer, and much more deadly than ever before. In fact, estimates of heroin's street-level purity indicate it has gone from an average of 4 percent up to a staggering 70 percent or more on purity level. A recent GAO study indicated that worldwide opium production has nearly doubled since the late 1980's, while U.S. emergency room episodes from heroin overdoses increased by some 50 percent. Just recently, in New York City, we had the much-publicized Red Rum heroin overdose death of a member of the Smashing Pumpkins Band, along with the arrest of that band's drummer for possession of heroin, and cancellation of the band's sold-out performances. Spelled backward, Red Rum is murder, and in the case of the Smashing Pumpkins member's overdose, it was indeed lethal, taking his life. It surely is murder. Let us hope that the Red Rum message is not one that Red Rum and other forms of heroin are trendy; rather than heroin use is serious and in this case can be deadly.”