dankpete
02-05-2006, 07:09 PM
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-heroin05.html#
12 dead, tainted heroin suspected
February 5, 2006
BY ANNIE SWEENEY Staff Reporter Advertisement
Chicago Police are investigating the deaths of 12 people who died in or are known to have purchased heroin along the same two-block stretch of the city's South Side in the last three weeks, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Investigators began to notice a pattern of overdoses of people who bought heroin on South State Street -- between 27th and 29th streets -- five days ago.
Police were expected to issue a community alert as early as today about the heroin, which authorities suspect might have been cut with a prescription pain-killer commonly used by cancer patients.
"Anyone who knows what this might be or who is selling this tainted substance should call police," said Chicago Police Deputy Supt. Charles L. Williams, who Saturday night couldn't confirm the number of victims.
'Killing them within minutes'
He did confirm the location of where the tainted drugs were sold but said his fear is that it could be peddled anywhere in the city.
"It could pop up anyplace," Williams said. "This really drives home that point: Don't do drugs."
The latest fatality, a 21-year-old man, slipped into a Chicago area hospital Friday night and overdosed instantly, using a bathroom there as cover, unbeknownst to staff.
"It seems to be killing them within minutes," the source told the Sun-Times.
Many of the dozen deaths have been ruled accidental, but until toxicological tests are complete, authorities won't know definitively what killed the users.
The pattern was detected because of the high number of victims of overdoses within a short time period.
The victims, ages 21 to mid-40s, are from all over Chicago.
Free drugs took toll in '05
Last summer, ambulances responded several times to the same West Side neighborhood in one day after at least seven people became ill after taking free bags of heroin, Chicago Police said.
Investigators said during the August 2005 incidents that the heroin was being offered in the 1400 block of West Hastings.
Victims told authorities that they received free heroin in orange baggies and had taken it before getting sick.
At least one victim was found passed out with his fists clenched, a police spokesman said.
It was unclear what was wrong with the heroin, although one possibility was that it was more pure than what the users were used to taking.
During that time, Chicago Police warned potential drug users to be wary of the free heroin.
With legalization this would never happen...think about other drugs
12 dead, tainted heroin suspected
February 5, 2006
BY ANNIE SWEENEY Staff Reporter Advertisement
Chicago Police are investigating the deaths of 12 people who died in or are known to have purchased heroin along the same two-block stretch of the city's South Side in the last three weeks, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Investigators began to notice a pattern of overdoses of people who bought heroin on South State Street -- between 27th and 29th streets -- five days ago.
Police were expected to issue a community alert as early as today about the heroin, which authorities suspect might have been cut with a prescription pain-killer commonly used by cancer patients.
"Anyone who knows what this might be or who is selling this tainted substance should call police," said Chicago Police Deputy Supt. Charles L. Williams, who Saturday night couldn't confirm the number of victims.
'Killing them within minutes'
He did confirm the location of where the tainted drugs were sold but said his fear is that it could be peddled anywhere in the city.
"It could pop up anyplace," Williams said. "This really drives home that point: Don't do drugs."
The latest fatality, a 21-year-old man, slipped into a Chicago area hospital Friday night and overdosed instantly, using a bathroom there as cover, unbeknownst to staff.
"It seems to be killing them within minutes," the source told the Sun-Times.
Many of the dozen deaths have been ruled accidental, but until toxicological tests are complete, authorities won't know definitively what killed the users.
The pattern was detected because of the high number of victims of overdoses within a short time period.
The victims, ages 21 to mid-40s, are from all over Chicago.
Free drugs took toll in '05
Last summer, ambulances responded several times to the same West Side neighborhood in one day after at least seven people became ill after taking free bags of heroin, Chicago Police said.
Investigators said during the August 2005 incidents that the heroin was being offered in the 1400 block of West Hastings.
Victims told authorities that they received free heroin in orange baggies and had taken it before getting sick.
At least one victim was found passed out with his fists clenched, a police spokesman said.
It was unclear what was wrong with the heroin, although one possibility was that it was more pure than what the users were used to taking.
During that time, Chicago Police warned potential drug users to be wary of the free heroin.
With legalization this would never happen...think about other drugs