Heroin making big comeback in Central Indiana

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) - After a period of decline, heroin is back in Central Indiana and authorities are issuing an alarm.

Twenty-year-old John Lee is not old enough to buy alcohol yet he's Central Indiana's latest heroin arrest.

"Never have we seen it like it is now," said Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force Director, Major Aaron Dietz.

Dietz's team has been busy.

Lee marks the fifth heroin arrest this week. There have been nine total this year. That's double the amount from the same time last year.

"Much like oxycodone and hydrocodone and those types of prescription medications, but what's driven people to heroin is really the cost. It's cheap," said Dietz.

A tenth of a gram of heroin costs about $10. That's half the cost of a pill and way more potent.

"It's so powerful and addictive. I think that's where we're having a problem with people continuing to go back to it."

Indiana has become a Heroin hub. Coming in from Chicago and Columbus, it then fans out to the rest of the country. But more and more, the drug is staying here. As to where exactly, many would be shocked.

"Fishers, Noblesville, and rural parts of Boone County it's found its way and unfortunately the demand is there," said Dietz.

Dietz says heroin is unique in that it spans all generations and classes. Most would expect to find the drug in poor neighborhoods, yet often it's used in high end communities.

It's not just the users who suffer. Heroin addictions lead to burglaries, stressed medical programs, and easy overdoses.

It's a dangerous rebirth that's off to a fast start. Authorities are now urging everyone to help stop its rapid spread.

Anyone wanting to leave an anonymous drug tip for Hamilton or Boone Counties can call 317-571-2545.