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Staff writer

Heroin is cheaper and more potent in the Twin Cities compared with other metro areas, according to findings from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

This has led to a significant increase in heroin overdose deaths, particularly between 2008 and 2009, according to Anoka County Sheriff Bruce Andersohn and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, who held a joint news conference Jan. 12.

According to information released by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, there were 14 deaths from heroin overdose in 2008 in Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin and Ramsey counties. There were 22 reported deaths from heroin overdose between Jan. 1 and Nov. 18, 2009 and law enforcement officials believe the numbers could be higher because some cases are not reported.

Andersohn and Stanek said their main goal in holding the press conference was to educate the public and show that there is a steep price to pay for drug use.

“For heroin users, you may not be afraid to go to jail, but you may be afraid of dying,” Stanek said.

Of the 36 deaths reported in the four metro counties in 2008 and most of 2009, 94 percent are males and 83 percent are Caucasian. One-third of those who died were 25 years of age or younger. The next highest age percentage was between 36 and 45 years old (31 percent).

According to Andersohn, he had recently received voice messages from a mother who has a 17-year-old daughter addicted to heroin and a man who did jail time because of heroin addiction and wants to talk to others about staying off drugs.

There have been five deaths in Anoka County in the past 14 months because of heroin overdose, Andersohn said.

Treatment admissions for heroin and other opiates, primarily prescription medication, have increased over the last decade. Admissions more than doubled between 2002 and 2008 and increased 14.9 percent from 2007 to 2008 alone, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).

Alcohol abuse continues to be the primary reason someone is in a substance abuse program. In 2008, the DHS reported that 52.6 percent of 19,263 patients in Twin Cities area addiction treatment programs were primarily there for alcohol abuse compared with 16.6 percent for marijuana, 9.9 percent for crack cocaine, 6 percent for methamphetamine, 6.7 percent for heroin and 6.2 percent for other opiates.
Stronger and cheaper

According to the DEA statistics measured during a 2007 study, 31 samples of heroin recovered in the Twin Cities metro area had an average purity level of 59.9 percent. The next highest percentages were in Phoenix, Ariz., (56.9 percent) and Portland, Ore. (55.1 percent). The heroin is primarily coming from Mexico.

The Twin Cities heroin market price per milligram was also one of the lowest, the DEA found. The average price per milligram was 28 cents.

A Minnesota Department of Human Services study released in June 2009 concludes that heroin use may increase in the future as those addicted to prescription drugs turn to heroin as a more affordable option.

According to Stanek, the higher purity heroin is powder that can be snorted. Tar heroin is another form, but this needs to be injected, Stanek said.

It is important for parents to have a discussions with their kids about the dangers of drugs, he said.

“The focus for us today is the human cost of it,” Andersohn said.



Eric Hagen is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it