Nassau cops: Teen heroin use on rise

Heroin is becoming the drug of choice for an alarming number of Nassau County teenagers, police told local school officials at a meeting Thursday morning.

The teens, many of whom come from middle-class homes on Long Island's South Shore, often start out using prescription drugs, and move on to heroin when their supplies get scarce, police said. Many of them begin by snorting or smoking the drug, rather than injecting it, police said.

Whereas in 2002 there were about 100 heroin possession arrests countywide, last year there were about 150, said Det. Lt. Pete Donohue, deputy commanding officer of Nassau's Narcotics and Vice Squad.

"It's scary," said Mark Scher, principal of East Meadow High School. "Kids on the edge will try anything. Now they can get a bag of heroin for less than the cost of going to a movie."

Police said at the meeting that a bag of heroin costs about $7 on Nassau County streets.

By BY ANN GIVENS
Posted Thursday, May 8, 2008

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