Recently, death has presented itself in the form of countless batches of heroin, specifically in the New London area. Police forces working specifically in Connecticut are working to catch the distributors of these harmful drugs. Currently, there is a heroin epidemic so real it has taken the lives of many strangers, family, and friends. Last week, Ledyard Police arrested a Ledyard resident who allegedly was under the possession of heroin.

Heroin – a highly addictive drug derived from morphine – has been increasingly killing even those that inject the drug one time. According to James Gill, the state’s chief medical examiner, interviewed by the Hartford Courant, there has been a 27 percent increase in heroin deaths over the last year. According to police records, 415 people died due to overdose in 2015. Interestingly, while the number of cocaine related deaths has remained relatively constant, the number of heroin related deaths seems to be rising rapidly. Since Jan. 27, 25 people have been treated for heroin overdose at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, due to the bad batch that police forces are after.

Law enforcement in New London County has been catching the distributors of what may be the “bad batch.” On March 1, an arrest was made including three individuals at the Groton Wal-Mart. Inside the black sedan were 40-year-old Rachel Mead, 27-year-old Lorenzo Malcom, and 29-year-old Gilberto Alvarez. All are currently on a $49,000 bond. Police report that two of those arrested are homeless.

President Obama has also announced a $1.1 billion plan to fight the heroin epidemic that has cropped up even outside of Connecticut. His plan includes funding for expanded access to treatment centers, as well as funding for Naloxone – a drug used to counter the effects of heroin specifically by neutralizing the opioids in one’s system.

Experts agree that the most common reason people end up doing heroin is because of a problem with prescription pills. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse website, almost half of young people that do heroin admit they began with prescription pills. Often times, people will develop a need for the effects produced by a pill used to treat a legitimate pain.

Samantha Barnes, Social Media Editor

Senior Samantha Barnes is the Social Media Editor of the 2015-2016 Colonel. She is the secretary of Student Congress and competitively horseback rides. She will attend Fairfield University to study Business next fall.