Pubdate: Sun, 18 Feb 2001
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  #250, 4990-92 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6B 3A1 Canada
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Authors: Rachel Evans and Michael Wood

RISING COST OF HEROIN COULD SPELL CRIME SPREES, SAY COPS

Heroin prices could shoot up due to reduced production and either put 
junkies on the road to recovery or force them to commit more crime to feed 
the habit, Alberta cops predict.

A United Nations announcement indicates that opium production in 
Afghanistan - once the world's largest producer - has been virtually wiped 
out since the country's ban on poppy cultivation last July.

That has cops speculating on what the trickle-down effect will be. "Any 
time there's a lowering of supply and there's still a large demand, the 
price automatically goes up," said RCMP K-Division Supt. Dennis Massey, 
adding heroin comes from many areas of the world, not just Afghanistan.

"Sometimes what you see is a lot more demand on other pharmaceuticals, 
something to take its place.

"Hopefully, some of them (addicts) would look towards the methadone program 
or any program where they'd get off heroin."

Det. Rob Atkinson of Calgary's drug unit said if the price rises, so will 
the rate of junkies going on crime sprees.

"I think that would be fair comment," said Atkinson.

"People will need more money to supply their habit, which some junkies use 
crime to do. That's all part of the cycle.

"Either that or the purity of the product will go down."

Currently, heroin hovers between 60% and 80% purity, up from about 15% less 
than 10 years ago.

The drug, which is typically sold in portions of one-tenth of a gram for 
$40, has been on the rise, due in part to a decrease in cost and increase 
in purity, Atkinson said.

"We're starting to see more and more heroin all the time, here," he admitted.

Last year, Calgary cops busted a dealer importing $15,000 worth of heroin 
from Vancouver, where prices are about $10 for a hit.  "They're bringing it 
out here and selling it for four times what they're getting in Vancouver," 
he said.
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