The trunk of a vehicle used to smuggle bags of heroin into the United States. Law enforcement experts say the drug, once mostly limited to urban areas, now is available virtually nationwide. Heroin often is taken up by people addicted to prescription pain drugs no longer able to get high on them or unable to afford or find them. Submitted photo Tiny bags of heroin are weighed on a scale at the Lee County Sheriff's Office following a recent bust. Mexican "black tar" heroin ranging in color from dark brown to black, is a less pure form of heroin that tends to be sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal. Because of its consistency, it's usually dissolved and injected or smoked, rather than snorted or sniffed. It's more likely to be distributed in the western and southwestern parts of the United States. Mexican drug gangs are purported to be behind the rise of this type of heroin availability. SHNS photo by Emmanuel Tambakakis Above: Some paraphernalia typically used to inject heroin: needles, syringes, spoons, cotton balls and tiny plastic bags. The parents of a 20-year-old Maryland overdose victim found the material under his bed after he died. The general … Continue reading →

BLOOMINGTON A 1-year-old girl died accidentally of a drug overdose, a McLean County inquest jury ruled Thursday. Laina Stevenson was found unresponsive in her bed by her father, Martin Stevenson, around 5:30 a.m. May 8 after the childs twin sister woke up crying, according to information given to the inquest panel by Coroner Beth Kimmerling. Stevenson, 25, faces felony charges for endangering the health of a child resulting in a death. He is accused of allowing the child access to Suboxone, a drug prescribed to treat opiate dependency. He was arrested Aug. 15 and remains in jail in lieu of $50,025. The coroner said observations during the autopsy pointed to a potential drug overdose. Toxicology reports returned in August turned up evidence of what Kimmerling described as fatal concentrations of Suboxone. Normal Police Det. Nicole Bruno testified thatStevenson and his wife Marta told authorities the children suffered from allergies and were given an allergy medication and a pain reliever before they went to bed. They also reported that Laina had trouble staying awake during her dinner. MartinStevenson admitted to a drug relapse days before the childs death and to obtaining a prescription for Suboxone. According to Bruno, the father initially … Continue reading →

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) William Tracy Fowler in his home in Salt Lake City with a stack of legal papers related to his disability lawsuit against Westminster College. A federal court has awarded Fowler damages, ruling the college violated the American With Disabilities Act through a series of actions it took against Fowler following his drug rehab. Fowler had been addicted to pain pills he took for a back condition. Courts Westminster to appeal finding that it acted unlawfully. Firing a recovering prescription drug addict will cost Westminster College nearly $600,000, after a federal judge concluded the private Salt Lake City school acted unlawfully toward its longtime mailroom supervisor. In May, a federal jury decided William Tracy Fowler, who had become hooked on prescription medications following back surgery, was entitled to protection under the American With Disabilities Act. The 1990 law prohibits employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of a disability. Dispose of prescription drugs Saturday Across Utah, disposal sites will accept expired or unneeded prescription drugs between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, the 5th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Law enforcement personnel and prevention specialists will be available to answer … Continue reading →

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