The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), has reported heroin abuse and distribution are increasing in Ohio. According to the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, until 1997 it was very rare to see a heroin overdose death in their area. During the six years since, there has been an average of more than 10 deaths per year. This represents a recent and dramatic upsurge. Heroin is sold in various packaging. In Youngstown, distribution groups sell South American heroin by the bag or in bundles. In Toledo, Mexican brown powdered heroin is sold in half-gram quantities packaged in aluminum foil. Mexican brown powdered heroin is sold in clear gelatin capsules in the Miami Valley and Dayton areas. Recently, the DEA seized "Havana Club" rum bottles containing a brown-colored liquid, that field- testing indicated contained heroin. Liquid heroin is very unusual, however, intelligence suggests that this method of smuggling heroin may be on the rise. Heroin is shipped into Ohio from major distribution centers such as Chicago, Detroit, New York and various cities along the southwest border. Interstate 75 and 71 continue to be major thoroughfares for drug traffickers. Heroin is also transported on commercial airline flights into Ohio. Wholesalers use major Ohio cities such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo as distribution centers for smaller cities in and outside the state. Gram quantities sell between $140-$250 and ounce quantities $2400-$7000. The average purity of heroin in Ohio can vary greatly from less than two percent to over 80 percent depending on how many times it was "cut" with a diluting agent. The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) data indicates the number of treatment admissions for heroin abuse increased overall from 5,769 in 2001 to 6,878 in 2002. The Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring (OSAM) Network analysis of data from treatment centers, law enforcement agencies, personal interviews, and focus groups suggests that heroin abuse is increasing among young adults. In June 2001 OSAM Network research revealed an emerging population of new, young heroin users in Akron, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown. Get the complete alert (352k PDF file). Adobe Acrobat Reader required.

COUGH SYRUP/LIGHTER FLUID FUELING LATEST DRUG CRAZE: "ROBO FIRE"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2002

COLUMBUS -- Always looking for something new, some teens are now turning to a dangerous combination of cough medicine and cigarette lighter fluid to get high, according to a recent alert issued by the Ohio Early Warning Network (OEWN).

This latest drug trend finds youth throughout the state abusing Robitussin, Coricidin HBP, dextromethorphan (DXM) and other readily available cough suppressants in combination with inhalants to gain a cheap, quick "LSD-like high." Abusers are calling the potentially deadly concoction "Robo Fire."

"The abuse of cold medication is not a new phenomenon, but combining it with inhalants is a dangerous emerging practice that must be addressed," said Luceille Fleming, director of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS). ODADAS partnered with the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio National Guard earlier this year to launch the OEWN initiative in an effort to alert parents, alcohol and other drug addiction prevention and treatment professionals, law enforcement officials and educators to new drug trends.

What makes "Robo Fire" enticing for children is the ease of availability, Fleming said, noting that cough medicines and cigarette lighter fluid are both readily available products in supermarkets, convenience stores and drug stores. "There's nothing illegal about either of those products when purchased and used for their intended purposes. However, when abused together, these seemingly benign items can cause serious harm."

Experts say anyone with basic chemistry knowledge can extract a free-base, crystalline form of DXM from cough syrup by cutting it with solvents found in cigarette lighter fluid and other readily available agents. Once the drug is isolated, users reportedly smoke, snort or ingest it in capsule form. Though abusers seem to prefer the free-base form of DXM, some have experimented with drinking the cough syrup first and then huffing vapors from the lighter fluid to achieve a similar high. However, according to the OEWN alert, "Many abusers dislike taking available liquid preparations due to their relatively low concentrations, unpleasant taste and propensity to cause vomiting."

The mood-altering effects of "Robo Fire" have been described as similar to those produced by crack or LSD. Effects range from vivid, cartoon-like hallucinations to ataxia (inability to coordinate muscular movements), hyper-excitability, slurred speech, sweating, involuntary eye movement, hypertension and numbness. Brain damage, coma and death are also possible. "This is a very dangerous form of abuse. A person (especially someone pre-disposed to certain heart disorders) can die the very first time," explained Dr. Earl Siegel, co-director of the Cincinnati Drug & Poison Information Center. Siegel, who learned of Robo Fire abuse from some of his patients at the University of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, contends that Internet sites "dedicated to pro-drug use" are fueling its proliferation..

In response to this latest drug threat, experts are urging parents and other caregivers to talk to their children about the dangers of abusing cough syrup and other cold medicines, and to ask questions if they find empty bottles of cough syrup and/or lighter fluid left in the child's room, locker or car. Parents, educators and other adults should also be aware of strong ammonia smells, which are often a bi-product of the DXM extraction process. For more information on "Robo Fire," contact the Cincinnati Drug & Poison Information Center at (513) 636-5053 or the Ohio Resource Network for Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities at 1-800-788-7254 (Option #2). To learn more about the OEWN, visit www.ebasedprevention.org. To report an issue to the Ohio Early Warning Network, call the toll-free non-emergency InfoLine at 1-866-OhioEWN (644-6396).