Many people think of heroin as part of the 1960s drug culture, but nationwide, “smack” is making a comeback. 
 
Local agencies are working to combat the dangerously addictive drug that is quickly invading Bay County.
 
Across the United States the numbers are soaring. Heroin overdose deaths have quadrupled since 2010.
 
“You are very close to the end of your life cycle when you get on heroin,” said Captain Faith Bell of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
 
Northern states are in the middle of massive heroin epidemics, but the drug is making its way south to our community.
 
“We’re, I think, one of the last areas to get hit with it. Hopefully it doesn’t hit us as hard as it has hit other places, but we are seeing it now on our streets and we’re responding to the overdoses and the overdoes deaths,” said Bell.
 
Officials link the heroin comeback to the nationwide crackdown on pill mills.
 
“The pills are still around, the oxycodone is still in demand, but the heroin is definitely here and creeping in on us,” said Bell.
 
The number of heroin related calls are increasing, but the sheriff’s office is just one agency.
 
“What seems bad to us, multiplied times five other agencies, could look a lot worse,” said Bell.
 
Law enforcement agencies aren’t the only ones dealing with the heroin epidemic as emergency rooms are also seeing an increase in patients with heroin-related complications.
 
“Last week I think we had three or four in here. Four in one week is definitely more than we’re accustomed too, it’s usually probably, I don’t know the numbers exactly, but one or two a month,” said Dr. Wil Harris, Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center Emergency Room.
 
Heroin is a drug that grabs a hold of it’s user quickly and it doesn’t let go.
 
“The issue with heroin is that it crosses the blood brain barrier very quickly so you get a super high high within seconds,” said Harris.
 
“This is not a drug you can try, this is not a drug you can experiment with, it’s not a party drug, it doesn’t take much of this to become an addict and you’re going to go down a road that you never saw yourself down. You will give up everything you own. You will have to tend to this every single day of your life for the rest of your life,” added Bell.
 
Users are intensifying the high and the danger.
 
“They have figured out how to make synthetic fentanyl and create fentanyl, so fentanyl is a 30 times stronger drug than heroin that they cut the heroin with the fentanyl, which makes it a lot more potent,” said Bell.
 
When it gets to the point for addicts when heroin isn’t enough, the drug abuse becomes even more deadly.
 
“Some of the folks we saw last week were essentially unconscious and would have died had they not received medical treatment, where as in the past, had it not been laced with fentanyl, they may have just had their usual high,” said Harris.
 
In those situations, doctors are able to use an antidote called Naloxone to reverse the affects of heroin.
 
“It works well and it works quickly. Essentially if they are able to get that drug in time, they’re able to breath again and their level of consciousness returns to normal and they’re ok,” said Harris.
 
Without Naloxone, Harris said overdose deaths would double. Then there are other complications.
 
“Folks will come in with needles broken off in their arms. Those are difficult to remove and usually lead to significant infection. And then the other big ones mentioned would be blood born infection, in this case hepatitis, HIV,” said Harris.
 
Officials say they’re seeing young adults in their 20s and 30s, but they fear teens could be next.
 
“This isn’t marijuana, this isn’t cocaine, this is something that will change your child’s life forever,” said Bell.
 
A Bay County Substance Abuse Task Force has formed to help bring new resources for heroin and other drug abusers, but unfortunately treatment options in our area are limited.
 
There is a brand new program with the Life Management Center that focuses on families.
 
Family Intensive Treatment, or F.I.T. is designed to help families involved with the Department of Children and Families seek substance abuse help, using a community reinforcement approach.
 
When a parent has abuse or neglect allegations against them and their children are taken by DCF, the parent most likely loses their Medicaid benefits, then can’t seek substance abuse treatment.
 
This program helps those parents get back on their feet and get back to their family.
 
“It is a very motivational, very client-centered substance use treatment program. It’s fairly structured also. It’s not just sitting down and talking. There’s lots of tools that we use with the clients,” said Margaret Paul, Family Intensive Treatment Program.
 
Click here for the Coastal Resource and Resiliency Center website outlining more Medicaid driven and private  substance abuse treatment options.