Smack, horse, H, boy, dope. Heroin is on the rise in Waukesha County,

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 officials say, leaving a trail of broken lives, broken dreams and tragedy.

The highly addictive drug is frequently associated with the 1960s, with hippies and yippies and ending the lives of such rock stars as Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin.

But this drug has been making inroads into the area, into middle class families.

A serious problem
"We do have a crisis, it seems," said Claudia Roska of the Addiction Resource Council in the City of Pewaukee.

"We have an ongoing, very serious problem with alcohol and drug use," she said. "Alcohol is the No. 1 problem."

Abuse of alcohol cannot be understated. The dangers of heroin, though, cannot be overstated.

"Heroin is the scourge of our society," said Village of Pewaukee Police Chief Ed Baumann, whose department played a role in a major 2008 drug bust involving heroin trafficking. Baumann, who was also a member of the county's drug unit in the 1990s, said village police have been seeing numerous incidents involving heroin.

Heroin use on rise
Capt. Charles Wood of the Waukesha County Metro Drug Unit said there has been a "meteoric rise" in the amount of heroin seized by the department.

From 1985 to 2004 the unit did not seize any heroin, Wood said. In 2005, the unit seized 1.7 grams; in 2008, 6 grams; in 2007, 7 grams and in 2010, 115 grams.

For those not into the metric system, roughly 29 grams equals 1 ounce. Thus last year about 4 ounces were seized, he said. While an ounce might not seem like much to the layperson, Wood said "an ounce of heroin is a like a U-Haul truck full of pot. It's the economy of scale in reverse."

Wood said a typical "hit" would be three-tenths to one-half a gram, so 1 gram of heroin equals multiple doses, Wood said. The drug also offers a huge profit margin for dealers. Wood said a dealer could pay about $10,000 for an ounce; when it is broken down into smaller portions and sold on the street, the net worth of that ounce could be $40,000, he said.

Another signal of the rise in use of the drug comes from the AIDS Resource Council, which distributes syringes. This worldwide organization provides clean needles and supplies to users to combat the spread of blood borne disease."They have seen a growing customer base," Woods said.

Deaths from heroin overdoses have remained stable, except for one year. According to the Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office, heroin was listed as cause of death in two cases in 2005, three in 2006, one in 2007, seven in 2008, three in 2009 and three in 2010. Last year's number might grow, as a few cases are still pending test results, a spokesperson said.

The disturbing trend of heroin use in the county truly came to light in July 2008, when 27 people were arrested in a major drug bust called Operation Lake Effect.

In federal documents, those involved were responsible for 11 overdoses, five of them fatal. Eleven of those arrested had ties to the Village of Pewaukee.

In January and February 2009, nine people, most from the Oconomowoc and Hartland areas, were arrested and subsequently convicted of either possessing or selling heroin.

"Heroin cases are perpetually on the uptick," said Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel.

Pills are gateway
Getting hooked on heroin is generally a journey. While alcohol and marijuana are gateway drugs, prescription drugs open the door to heroin.

Prescription drugs appear safe, and teens at parties are "quick to exchange these pills," Wood said. Reaction to the pills varies. Some, he said, will simply fall asleep while others "will go on a trip."

Those who fall asleep are likely not interested in experimenting anymore. But those who get high might want to try it again, he said.

The prescription drugs that lead to heroin use are the opiates, such as oxycodone (brand name OxyContin) and hydrocodone.

While the pills are time released, drug users will crush and then snort the powder or heat it with a fluid and then inject it, Baumann said. "That's the easiest way to get high," he said.

However, those drugs are expensive, with one pill going for as much as $100, Wood said. Baumann said a 60mg pill will go for $60, an 80mg pill for $80.

"Compare that with a dime bag ($10) or a $20 bag of heroin. And get the same high," Baumann said.

Wood said the increased use of pharmaceuticals has led "to an uptick in heroin."

A 2009 study by the Wisconsin Department of Health shows the "misuse and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs appears to be a growing problem nationally and in Wisconsin."

The extent is not known, as "there is a lack of data concerning the prevalence and burden associated with their misuse and abuse," said the study.

In 2009, 34 percent of high school teens said they used marijuana and 2 percent said they used heroin. For those age 12 to 17, though, 15 percent said they used pain relievers, according to the study.

The State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse established a subcommittee that is examining drug use and is expected to issue a report in June highlighting Wisconsin's prevalence in the abuse and misuse of pharmaceutical drugs. The report will include recommendations on how to reduce its use and prevention.

Chasing the high
"The first high is the best, and then it becomes chasing the high," Baumann said. "But they never achieve it. They never get that first big high."

According to the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, heroin works on the central nervous system and lowers the heartbeat and breathing, which may cause users to lose consciousness.

"Any of these effects can be fatal if the dose is too high," according to the report.

"With street heroin, there is no absolutely safe dosage. It depends on the abuser's tolerance, the amount taken and purity taken," the report said.

"It's never safe to use heroin," Roska said. The addiction leads to a change in lifestyle, she said. Suburban teens drive to dangerous neighborhoods in the inner city to buy the drug.

"We still have a good grip on drug trafficking in Waukesha County," Schimel said, noting users still go to Milwaukee to purchase the drug.

Addiction leads to crime
However, those addictions are being felt in Waukesha County through such criminal activity as thefts, burglaries and prostitution.

In recent weeks, numerous criminal complaints have been filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court for crimes related to drug use. A sampling of those complaints include:

• Richard Sulla, 23, of Ashippun, charged with a rash of burglaries in Lake Country. Sulla told police he committed the burglaries to pay for his drug addiction to "oxy."

• Leon Thomas, 49, of Waukesha, charged with first-degree reckless homicide, for allegedly supplying drugs to Holly Reidy, 20, who died Feb. 18, 2010. An autopsy showed the cause of death was opiate and ethanol intoxication due to ingesting hydrocodone, fentanyl and ethanol. The woman was also a reported heroin user.

• Michael D. Howell, 27, of the Town of Genesee, charged with 19 counts, including burglary and forgery, all in an apparent attempt to support his drug habit.

• Alexander J. Katrichis, 25, of Mukwonago, was recently sentenced to six months in jail for dealing heroin.

• Richard P. DeBack, 64, of West Allis, charge with stealing eight vehicles from Waukesha dealerships in order to support his heroin habit, which he has had for years. DeBack sold brand-new cars at extremely low prices to buy heroin, according to the criminal complaint.

Is it in your neighborhood?