Officials discuss 5 heroin deaths

WILMINGTON — Those in the know met today to discuss the problem of heroin in our area. So far five people have died from the drug since early December.

Officials say they are starting to get a better understanding of how these five people overdosed on heroin.

Kenny House runs the substance abuse treatment center Coastal Horizons. He says according to drug users he’s dealt with, the reason people are dying is because some of the heroin on the streets right now is extremely strong, and users are often mixing it with other drugs.

House says sharing this information will likely deter people who have never tried the drug to stay away from it, but is worried that current heroin users will be enticed to find it and buy it.

House is working on a plan to help those people get clean. He said, “Anytime we open up more treatment beds and more treatment slots and more people getting treatment, we bring solution to that because we get more people into treatment.”

New Hanover County is getting a $750,000 grant from the state to help deal with the substance abuse problem. The money will help bring long-term substance abuse treatment to the area — something not currently available in New Hanover, Brunswick or Pender counties.

That plan is also designed to help treat drug-addicted homeless in the area. Critics are concerned the state’s plan may become more of a problem than a solution though.