Newspapers launch in-depth series on the devastating effect heroin is having in the area
From unsuspecting high school students seeking a new buzz at a party, to middle-aged men and women recovering from painful surgery, heroin has become a vortex from which few who try the drug are able to escape.
People from all walks of life throughout the area are using a cheaper and more powerful form of heroin in unprecedented numbers, according to local officials.
The result: increasing crime, broken families and, in some cases, death by overdose. It’s a societal challenge that officials say demands 360 degrees of attention, with the criminal justice system, the medical community and the educational system joining forces to battle the drug’s scourge.
Southern Lakes Newspapers is in the midst of a three-part series that examines the problem from the perspective of law enforcement, the abusers as well as medical and social service providers. The first installment takes a look at the heroin challenge through the eyes of those in the criminal justice system who see heroin’s devastating effect on a daily basis. To read the full installment, pick up a copy of this week’s editions of the Delavan Enterprise, East Troy Times, East Troy News, Elkhorn Independent, Walworth Times or Whitewater Register.
