Tuesday, March 3, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
More needles showing up in haystack
Heroin becoming more popular among local residents, students
By Chris Horton
chorton@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Local drug counselors have noticed an increase in the amount of heroin use and in the amount of residents requesting treatment for heroin addiction in Lawrence.
Gerry Riley, DCCCA Center counselor, has been a drug counselor for 13 years. He said he had seen a recent increase in heroin use.
"For a while, nobody even said the word heroin," he said. "But I started hearing about it a couple of years ago among high school and college students, and it's been
becoming more common."
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation arrested three students and three other Lawrence residents Feb. 20 on charges of distributing heroin and conspiring to distribute heroin. Special Agent Scott Teeselink said the KBI had concluded its investigation.
"It's being turned over to Douglas County for the usual charging process," Teeselink said.
Riley said the recent seizure of heroin in Lawrence was not necessarily indicative of a local problem.
"One bust doesn't make an epidemic," he said.
always been a reflection or drug patterns in this country."
Use of the more intense and addictive drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine are affected by a generational cycle, Riley said.
"It takes about 20 years for a generation to pass and for people to forget the damage it can do," he said.
Riley said he had been notified of several overdoses in the past four to six months — none of which were fatal. He said that in the past year, he had treated four patients for heroin addiction.
Although most of his clients have injected heroin intravenously, the majority of Lawrence addicts he has encountered began snorting the drug.
He said they began snorting heroin because it was less intense than intravenous use.
Wally Mechler, Heartland Clinical Consultants director, said he had treated two Lawrence residents for heroin addiction.
"Nobody ever believes they're going to get strung out," he said.
Mechler said people who used heroin did not fit any type of mold.
"There is not a typical heroin user," he said. "In fact, heroin use is becoming quite chic and can be found in the middle to upper-middle class."
"I've been treating people for heroin addiction for five or six years, and I've noticed an across-the-board increase in heroin abuse," he said.
Although Riley and Mechler have seen an increase in heroin use in Lawrence, statistics that reflect the scope of the increase are difficult to attain, said Belinda Rehmer, community relations assistant,
Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
"Lawrence has always been a reflection of drug patterns in this country."
Gerry Riley
DCCCA Center Counselor
It is difficult for hospitals to compile statistics of heroin-related medical problems and overdoses because hospitals attempt to treat the immediate physical problems of emergency patients, Rehmer said.
"To keep statistics on drug overdoses, we would have to have people come in and say, 'I'm on drugs'—which just doesn't happen," she said.
KU on Wheels completes drive for Highpointe stop
By Marc Sheforgen
mssheforgen@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The transportation board has approved adding a stop at the Highpointe apartment complex, 2001 W. Sixth St.
Scott Kaiser, transportation coordinator, said that the new stop would add more than 500 students to the West Sixth Street route and would not cost the University anything because KU on Wheels would not have to create an entirely new route.
Kaiser said that the route addition became necessary after assessing population growth.
"What we've seen over the last two or three years is more development in West Lawrence," he said. "What we need to do is
continuously re-evaluate our bus routes to match the living patterns."
The transportation board had been considering the route addition since the beginning of the school year, but details such as Highpointe liability and an adequate snow removal system delayed the plans.
Highpointe apartments, owned by First Management Inc., will be added to the route later in the semester, once trees on West Seventh Street are trimmed to allow bus access.
"We have properties up at KU that I have to drive a van up to," he said. "So we know how
Eric Humiston, maintenance supervisor for First Management, said that although most of the Highpointe tenants had vehicles, a bus service would be of great value to alleviate the difficulty of on-campus parking.
the parking is. Parking's tough."
Terri Bergmann, Hinsdale, Ill., junior and Highpointe tenant, said she wished the bus route would have been available during August.
"My car is registered just because there is no bus," she said. "I have a 7:30 class, and I definitely wouldn't mind hopping on the bus. If it was a nice day, I'd probably even walk home."
A bus service also may attract future tenants to Highpointe.
Kelly Brock, Atlanta sophomore, is considering living at Highpointe next year because of the new bus option.
"It would make it a lot easier, so you wouldn't have to drive to campus and worry about parking," she said.
Andrew Rohrback / KANSAN
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