HOOVER, AL - Heroin is no longer an inner city problem. The epidemic is rooting deeper into communities across the Birmingham metro area. And the message coming from Hoover police today is dire: "We can't arrest our way out of this problem."
The latest two overdoses have come in the up-scale Greystone community, although the specific drugs have not been determined. Police say this problem remains at epidemic levels.
Drew Callner may not look like the typical heroin addict of years past. But the 32-year-old does fit today's profile: 18 to 45 years old and white. "I was one step away from skid row and homeless facing prison time. I came from a good family," says Callner.
We asked him how long would it take him to find heroin in Hoover. He told us probably ten minutes. Callner knows he's fortunate to be alive. Three friends have died of overdoses.
Capt. Gregg Rector of Hoover PD says no one can say "not in my neighborhood." It's a metro-wide, nationwide epidemic. The Shelby County Coroner reports three confirmed heroin overdoses out of 29 overdoses this year. But the office still has 20 pending toxicology reports in death cases.
Experts say it's a constant battle to get parents to realize addiction often beings at home. Estimates find 64 percent of kids get pills for the first time from the family, usually from the medicine cabinet. Once the pill supply runs out they turn to heroin which is cheap and easily available.
"Why are kids using? Are we as a family investing to make sure our kids are not self medicating?" asks Sandor Cheka with the Addiction Prevention Coalition in Birmingham. He says parents may end up actually funding the drug use. "Giving them $100 a weekend to spend and not paying attention to where it's going can be inviting trouble."
Parents must open the lines of communication. APC has a free breakfast coming up to "wake up" the community to the drug problem. Students will be there to talk about what is really happening with drugs in our schools and communities.
The event is free. You do need to RSVP at:
www.AddictionPreventionCoalition.org/RSVP
The latest two overdoses have come in the up-scale Greystone community, although the specific drugs have not been determined. Police say this problem remains at epidemic levels.
Drew Callner may not look like the typical heroin addict of years past. But the 32-year-old does fit today's profile: 18 to 45 years old and white. "I was one step away from skid row and homeless facing prison time. I came from a good family," says Callner.
We asked him how long would it take him to find heroin in Hoover. He told us probably ten minutes. Callner knows he's fortunate to be alive. Three friends have died of overdoses.
Capt. Gregg Rector of Hoover PD says no one can say "not in my neighborhood." It's a metro-wide, nationwide epidemic. The Shelby County Coroner reports three confirmed heroin overdoses out of 29 overdoses this year. But the office still has 20 pending toxicology reports in death cases.
Experts say it's a constant battle to get parents to realize addiction often beings at home. Estimates find 64 percent of kids get pills for the first time from the family, usually from the medicine cabinet. Once the pill supply runs out they turn to heroin which is cheap and easily available.
"Why are kids using? Are we as a family investing to make sure our kids are not self medicating?" asks Sandor Cheka with the Addiction Prevention Coalition in Birmingham. He says parents may end up actually funding the drug use. "Giving them $100 a weekend to spend and not paying attention to where it's going can be inviting trouble."
Parents must open the lines of communication. APC has a free breakfast coming up to "wake up" the community to the drug problem. Students will be there to talk about what is really happening with drugs in our schools and communities.
The event is free. You do need to RSVP at:
www.AddictionPreventionCoalition.org/RSVP
