Pubdate: Sun, 27 Apr 2014
Source: Herald and News (Klamath Falls, OR)
Copyright: 2014 Herald and News
Contact:  http://www.heraldandnews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2600
Author: Tristan Hiegler
Editor's Note: This is the third installment of a three-part series 
exploring the fallout of meth in Klamath Falls and other dangerous 
drugs. Today's article examines the uptick in cocaine and heroin 
usage in the county.

Combating Meth:

DANGEROUS DRUG TRENDS COME TO KLAMATH FALLS

Meth remains the most prevalent hard drug in Klamath County, but 
heroin and cocaine abuse rates are up

Last summer, police officers encountered a suspect whose head swelled 
up, who stripped off layers of clothes, laid down on the ground and 
tried to bite officers when he was eventually handcuffed. This person 
was apparently under the influence of one of the synthetic drugs 
commonly known as bath salts.

Methamphetamine has been identified as the prevalent hard drug in 
Klamath Falls, and the most dangerous statewide, but other narcotics 
are on the rise.

Disturbing new trends indicate cocaine and heroin usage is up, while 
meth itself might be deadlier than ever as dealers are cutting it 
with other substances to increase their profit margins.

Bath salts had a brief period of activity in the area last year, 
according to Detective Jack Daniel, Klamath Falls Police Department. 
That seems to have died down as of 2014, mostly because users have 
become aware of the extreme effects of the synthetic drugs.

However, the danger remains that meth dealers are mixing in a little 
of bath salts, which look similar, in the baggies they sell and trade 
to users. Daniel said bath salts can heighten meth's effects, which 
makes some users come back. Or the addition can lead to extreme 
psychosis and violent behavior, after which users will swear off the 
stuff altogether.

"What we've heard, and presumed, based upon these encounters with 
people, is that bath salts are being mixed in with methamphetamine," 
Daniel said.

"[Dealers will] get a higher weight on the methamphetamine when they 
sell it, [users will] get a similar reaction from ... it will get you 
high in some way, shape or form."

Bath salt blends

According to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, the family of 
substances known on the street as bath salts may be manufactured in 
China and India, then packaged for wholesale in Eastern Europe. The 
products are typically marketed as legal household items, though 
Daniel said the chemical composition of the bath salt blends are 
constantly changing to stay ahead of DEA classification and regulation.

He noted meth users do not often know their fix is being tampered with.

"Often times they won't know that they're buying that blend.

They're getting cheated out of a small amount of meth," Daniel said. 
"I've talked to people that have used, and after they're psychosis is 
over, they've said 'I'm down, I think they blended it with bath 
salts, I think they're trying to kill me ... I'm done.' "

"I haven't heard a whole lot about bath salts lately, and again that 
may be cause of the effects it's having," he added.

A new gateway

According to Daniel, cocaine has replaced marijuana as the gateway 
drug to harder substances.

"Cocaine is becoming more prevalent here, it seems to be a more 
socially accepted party drug," he said.

"Marijuana used to be the gateway drug, but now it's so prevalent 
that cocaine and prescription drugs are turning into the gateway 
drugs for harder drugs like methamphetamine and heroin."

Data released this week from the Office of the Oregon State Medical 
Examiner shows cocaine deaths are down in 2013, with only 12 reported 
statewide. Ten years ago, 53 deaths in Oregon were attributed to cocaine.

No cocaine related deaths were reported in Klamath County last year.

Heroin use rising

While cocaine might be the new gateway for some, Daniel said 
prescription drug abuse seems to be leading to increased rates of 
heroin abuse and heroin deaths.

No deaths in Klamath County were pinned to heroin in 2013, but 
statewide 111 instances were documented.

"The trend is going to heroin use, and that's stemming from 
prescription drug abuse from oxycodone and other opiates. Younger 
people will get hooked on those opiates and begin abusing them. Once 
they came to the point they can't afford the opiate anymore, they 
will turn to heroin," Daniel said.

Heroin can be particularly dangerous because the manufacturing 
process is unique from supplier to supplier, Daniel said. The 
situation is further complicated because every dealer splits up what 
they sell differently, diluting (or not) at different rates.

A similarly sized pinhead-sized portion of the drug can contain 25 
percent opiate, or 100 percent. Daniel said the user might never know 
the difference before it is too late.

"It's very easy to overdose on because of the manufacture process. 
There's no consistency in the dosage size."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom