Pubdate: Thu, 03 Feb 2005
Source: Beverly Citizen (MA)
Copyright: 2005 Community Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www2.townonline.com/beverly/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3553
Author: Bob Gates
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

HOPE AFTER HEROIN

Michael Duffy meandered  up Broadway. He knocked on door after door searching
for just the right one to  open. Once inside, he took whatever he could
carry, CDs, DVDs, jewelry, money  and sold it all for drugs. In Salem District
Court on Monday, Jan. 31, Duffy  shook his head as the prosecuting attorney
outlined his actions.

Duffy is  19, and, according to his attorney, is addicted to Oxycotin
and heroin. The  Beverly resident admitted to breaking into more than
150 homes across the North  Shore during a seven-month period. But we
haven't even gotten our feet wet yet.

Less than a  month ago, District Attorney John Blodgett told a
gathering of more than 500  Essex County residents and area officials
that if something wasn't done to stem  what he called an "epidemic" of
heroin use in our communities a crime wave would  crash through our
cities and flood our homes with horror. Once upon a  time, Beverly
considered itself a sleepy little community overflowing only with
contented visions of paradise. Sure, on occasion tragedy interrupted
our faraway  thoughts spurring joint meetings of collaborative efforts
to stop any such event  from ever happening in our city again. That
time  is over.

While we  still consider our city a seaside haven to wash away our
woes we can no longer  be shocked by events which have all but overrun
our newspaper headlines. We commend  Beverly's Criminal Investigation
Division for its efforts in attacking the issue  both during its
continuing undercover efforts as well as its head on handling of
heroin addicts.

It is also  heartening that local officials have moved forward on a
citizen task-force to  study the tragedy of opiate addiction in our
midst. But more  must be done. State legislators must start funneling
funds to local law  enforcement officers to help them concentrate on
the matter. In addition, more  money must go to those non-profits who
help addicts overcome their aliments. And  finally, we must not be
content to watch the seaside shift and the wave of crime  and despair
covers us. Learn about the drug and its effects. Talk to local  health
and police officials. Talk to school staff and teachers. But most
importantly, talk to your children and let them know that not only
could this  drug be deadly for them it's dangerous for us all.
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MAP posted-by: Derek