Philly’s Next Heroin Epidemic

THERE’S NO SIMPLE WAY TO HEAD OFF A HEROIN EPIDEMIC. Various methods of legalizing the drug have been advocated over the years, but the chances of even decriminalizing small amounts for private use are basically zero. Addicts themselves will probably tell you it’s a bad idea.

Devoting more resources to treating addiction is a good goal, but the critical moment in a real drug epidemic comes early, when new users are still enjoying the high and encouraging their peers to try it. An addict doesn’t usually seek treatment until years past that point.

The imperfect, much-criticized model­ of law enforcement limiting supply and disrupting distribution isn’t going away. It’s worth noting its benefits: Getting heroin off the street raises prices and can increase the time necessary for a user to score it. Both have been shown to cause fewer people to use, though limiting availability is actually much more effective. The heroin epidemic of 1967 to 1971 ended after imports of heroin to the United States were effectively closed. Street purity plummeted; overdose deaths went down, and so did use.

Inspector Carl Holmes, a 22-year veteran­ of the Philadelphia police department who’s been with the narcotics bureau for about eight of those years, is investigating the heroin-­trafficking organizations of the Badlands. Such investigations take time, and he knows people in the community may not realize how much work goes into building a good case. Because there’s so much money to be made in heroin, and the pool of customers keeps expanding, the battle against the major crews will be long. “We take off a lot of them, but obviously we don’t take off enough,” he says. “It’s unfortunate. For every group we take down, there’s another waiting in the wings.”