America tonights sarah hoye at ground zero of the opioid epidemic. Americas addiction may be getting worse. Thanks for joining us, im joie chen. We know its grip is powerful and becoming more deadly now science of heroin is reaching into more communities and getting more people looked. America tonight has closely followed americas rappic addiction and now confirms what weve seen an explosion of death due to heroin nearly four times higher than over the last decade and on the streets, america tonights sarah hoye is finding the drug trade is luring even more victims to their deaths. Reporter the north philly where neighborhood of kensington. From the monument that symbolizes philadelphia. The district was once thriving now an eyesore. Attracting heroin pushers and users. Its a neighborhood where the people have been forgotten and where the forgotten go to forget. This is the place that People Choose to turn their headway from turning a blind eye. One person thats not turning a blind eye is carol rochester. Carol knows too well the pain of addiction. Her 25yearold son drew used to live on the kensington streets when heroin took his life. The first time he used heroin he was looked. I dont know the life, the euphoria. Carol patrols the neighborhood on a daily basis handing out food, clothes toilet tris. Ries. Hi michael did you get the sneakers today . No i didnt. I got you 10 and a half. She place the role of mom for many of the young addicts who are look to get clean extra help and guidance. Im sorry i have to do this. God dont run from me, please. What are you doing . Why are you down here . Reporter while many people may have given up on these lost souls, including their own families, carol refuses to do so. God bless you. Reporter she draws inspiration from her sons journey through addiction. Everybody thought my son was i show his picture to people who are that close to entering addiction, i know him yes i know he was crazy, this is him now and theyre like wow and ive gotten that response just like that. Wow im like yeah. If he can do it why dont you think you can . Reporter why do you care . Because of my son. I dont know, unless you have lived this, this isnt something i would wish on anybody i seriously wouldnt. But through his addiction ive bng the person ibecome today. Sadly carol is not alone in her experience. Across the country heroin use is up. In 2013, more than 8,000 people died. Many seeking a cheaper high used a form of heroin laced with a poa entpoet eningredient. We went to Temple School of medicine where we went dr. Ellen, director of the center for social research. Many people start out being prescribed an opiate, for some reason they take more of it when they no longer need it and they become dependent on a prescription opiate. Sometimes they find its cheap are and easier to get heroin. Heroin is often cut with fentanol. Used to treat very severe pain associated with cancer. Why fentanol. It gets into the brain very, very rapidly but in addition its so potent that very small quantities are needed to produce the same high and many of the drug dealers push their products as being a more intense high, a more potent heroin. So they use fentanol to improve the, quote potency of the product they are selling. And how much more potent would it be . Its on the order of 20 times more potent than heroin. In philadelphia last year, fentanil laced heroin was found in 20 of the people who oded. An upstick in heroin deaths. This stuff is serious. Its deadly. Ive grown to love a lot of these people down here. Its this fear that keeps carol committed for those in the darkness leading them into the light. And as long as the heroin ep indexic dont grow, carol will continue to patrol the streets of kensington. You deserve better. I deserve a lot better. A lot of people do, they just dont know it. Instilling hope in those who need it most. Give me a hug honey. Come here sweet cheeks. Its okay. You can get the hell out of here right . Reporter hope that they ask break free from heroins deadly grip. America tonights sarah hoye joins us. Sarah, i think people think of drug dealers drug deals happening at the lowest level but they dont understand this is an enormous industry. This is a huge industry. Joie were talking about the heroin industry in america bringing home 27 billion. Now by comparison, Box Office Sales last year were just over 10 billion. So thats telling you not only is this industry huge, this is touching multiple levels of peoples lives from those who are rich to those who are in the middle to those who may be even in the lower class. Heroin reaches everybody. We are seeing that in the statistics of death and addiction happening all over the country in all kinds of communities but then as any industry would, this is an industry that wants to reach out in new ways, find new products as it were to attract more customers, more consumers and more people who become addicted and dead. Youre absolutely right. What is the ultimate goal of being a drug dealer . You want to have the best product so you attract the most clients. What is being done is heroin is being cut with fentanol, it is extremely extremely potent. Its make heroin 10 to 20 more potent just by cutting it with this drug. This really is a cycle then, a lot of the opioid addiction going back to fentanol, which was originally a prescription medication. Youre absolutely right. This is dangerous hitting people where it hurts this is disrupting families this is disrupting homes this is extremely dangerous. America tonights sarah hoye. Next the high price of a fix. The drug that can save the lives of addicts and why its often just out of reach. Later, a roll of the dice. Atlantic citys latest plan to remake itself and who can get left out of the big win. And, free at 50, what happens when older prisoners age out of the city, at aljazeera. Com americatonight. Affected. People need to demand reform. Ali velshi on target on the heels of that upsurge of heroin overdose, there is an antidote. America tonights Lori Jane Gliha found out its help that often comes too late. Its the Worst Nightmare that a parent could ever go through. Reporter renees son alex had been clean for six months and was home for the holidays. Alex had become addicted to oxy codone. Thought he was finally turning his life around at age 28. It was a rainy night last january that would be list last night at home. At 4 00 in the morning one of the neighbor boys was screaming for me to wake up, that alex stopped breathing. Alex had overdosed inside her home. Alex went to the hospital and he was not mentally going to ever be the same so we had to make the decision whether you wanted to resuscitate limb or not, which was a hard decision. Alex might have been able to be brought back to life with this, often referred to as that that narcan. Members of his department were first on the scene responding to renees 911 call. Gist Weeks Later Police would be trained and equipped with the drug that could have saved alex. If we get to the scene first we can administer it. We have Standing Orders to do so. Our policy is here, we are authorized by policy to administer it. At this point whenever we are dosing seconds count. Maloxone has been around for decades, but authorities are turning oan easy to use nasal spray of the drug. A use which is not approved 50 fda and considered offlabel by the government. Maryland is among dozens of states that now allow Law Enforcement to carry naloxone. A law also absolves responsibility for those who administer the drug like Law Enforcement. Leading to huge profits for make are amphistar its stock jumped 70 since it went public last june. Both the price increase and the stock jump have become known to legislators. The rapid increase in the cost of this lifesaving medication in such a short time frame is a Significant Public Health Concern they wrote. America tonight made repeated requests for comment by the Pharmaceutical Company all went unanswered. In the past amphistar has said the cost increase is due to the rising cost of Raw Materials and labor. Marilyn is promised to keep maloxone with her at all times desperately hope she does not have to relive her latest nightmare. Maryland congressman cummings forcing lawmakers to take aggressive action, overcharging for maloxone and taking advantage of the addiction crisis. Next roll of the dice, Atlantic City deals with the future but who is left with the losing hand. And thursday, a spark of evil. There may be eight ten people out there committing arsons. Arsonists . Could be out there. Yes. Sarah hoye in the california hot zone, arson alley thursday on america tonight. This is a great place to work. Not because they have yoga meetings and a juice bar. Because theyre getting comcast business internet. Comcast business offers convenient installation appointments that work around your schedule. And it takes done. About an hour. Get reliable internet thats up to five times faster than dsl from the phone company. Call 8005016000 to switch today. Perks are nice. But the best thing you can give your business is comcast business. Comcast business. Built for business. Be the bright lights of the Atlantic City boardwalk once attracted visitors attracted by the big city gambling. Then some went under. Now a twist of fortune looks like an economic recovery is underway. Even so, america tonights adam may found many players have been left with a losing hand. Reporter tensions are escalating. What do we want . Justice, what when do we want it now. Reporter the stakes high in Atlantic City new jersey. We say fight back casino workers arrested. Protesting cuts to their benefits and salaries. Fest. We say fight back reporter the city is make a come back but these workers say theyre being left in the dust. Well be back, well be back. Like its unbelievable, it is going to happen. Is it really . You still have that faith that it wont happen that it wont close. Yamari blanco is a mother of two young children. She was a housekeeping assistant. Her husband a cook. Both lost their jobs last year. After four of the citys casinos shut down. What did you tell your kids . I told them that my casino was closing and they were like mommy why . Why they closing down . And then the little one said where are the people that were working there . I just told them you know well be okay. Its going to be okay. I mean i dont know what to tell i didnt know what to tell them. Reporter did you think about moving and leaving Atlantic City . I thought for a moment but then i also thought why would i leave . To start all over . When here i have my home . You know ive been here for 18 years. Where aim going to go . Atlantic city has lost more than half of its casino jobs since 2003. Hemorrhaging more than 21,000 jobs. Tough times on the boardwalk have left old icons like the trump applause empty. Dreams of a luxurious reinvention now moth balled, casting a long shadow of disappointing across Atlantic City. But Atlantic Citys mayor remains optimistic. Welcome to the beautiful boardwalk of atlantic Atlantic City. My name is don guardian. Im here to welcome you again. America tonight met mayor guardian last year. The beautiful building has got to be sore for you to look like. Absolutely, it represents at least 3,000 jobs we dont have and the best restaurants and clubs we dont have. Were trying to get it open again. Its still up in the air . Its still up in the air. This Time Next Year we got omake sure revel is open. The ones that are reopening with revenue up thanks to less competition. Still the Atlantic City area has an Unemployment Rate 30 times the national average. Reporter how are casino workers faring in this revelation of Atlantic City . If you are in the existing casinos you did well this year. The numbers were up but a lot of casinos cut back to part time workers so they lost their health benefits. Im concerned about that. We need to be concerned about everyone that is a resident here. Now all eyes are on the trump taj mahal. One of the be citys largest employers. Now its a concern between the workers and the new owner. Billionaire karl icahn. Icahn says hes fighting for his employees. They see things differently. Karl icahn is a hypocrite. He claims hes always fighting for little guy. Im the little guy i dont see him fighting for me. Paul smith is one of 3,000 workers at the taj mahal. A cook for 21 years he says the cuts to his hours and health care will cost him 17,000 a year. A big hit when you make about 40,000 a year. Do you have health care now . No i dont. Reporter how long you have have you been without health care . Since february. I was supposed to have surgery the second week of february but since they took it away i had to cancel my surgery. I have three tears in my rotator cuff. I have herniated disks in my lower back and in my neck. To see a doctor i have to pay cash. Which is taken its toll. I have to apply for welfare. Trying to get state assistance for health care. And its embarrassing. A 47yearold man relying on the state. I cant even look at my kids in the face and say yeah, dads applying for medicaid. Icahn denied al jazeera the request for an interview. Time money to purposely destroy one of the few remaining employers in town. Im baffled how they dont see their destructive efforts may well result in 3,000 less jobs. Ten, 20 years down road were going to have a much greater city than we have today. Reporter while the mayor says he is trying to save casino jobs hes turning his focus to a different kind of future for city. We are seeing a transition in new beginning for Atlantic City. Were working on becoming a great resort but were working on bringing a university to the at this time and medical school. Thats going to be the future for residents of Atlantic City. This isnt the first time Atlantic City has had to reinvent itself. From its beginnings as a health resort, to a mob city. Elg dtledelegates said the conditions were appalling. The city was in the need of a life line. Casinos on the boardwalk on the promise they would raise funds for Public Services across the state. Fastforward to the 1990s and the Atlantic City model was being duplicated in states across the country. Now Atlantic City is surrounded by states that have legalized gambling. Forcing city officials to, once again, find a new identity for americas original seaside playground. So this is part of the excitement. The mayor gave america tonight an exclusive look at the new indoor main street under construction at the caesars pier shops. It will feature more bars, restaurants and life entertainment. Its going to be an infinity pool. You can look right out at the ocean. Reporter designed to be a party palace and you wont find a single slot machine. After talking with you over the last year your plan to me sounds like diversification. Is employment going to be the backbone . Theres no single answer to make our city great. Everything is important great libations, cool bars, fine dining in clubs is all part. I really think pledges millennials are going to be the future of Atlantic City. A toxic dream but one that might not include all of Atlantic Citys workers. Atlantic city is reinventing itself, it is a shame that its at the cost of blood sweat and tears. How sit that my pension my health care is what is saving this casino . That doesnt add up. Reporter what would you tell some of these casino workers, what could you tell them . Give us decent pay our benefits, and well work because we work hard. Theyre being greedy. Be. Reporter a sentiment shared by thousands of workers in Atlantic City. Where building a career can be the biggest gamble of all, adam may, al jazeera, Atlantic City. Thats america tonight. Tell us what you think at aljazeera. Com americatonight. Talk to us on twitter or facebook and come back, well have more of america tonight, tomorrow. This is another significant development. We have an exclusive story tonight, and we go live. On Al Jazeera America technology. Its a vital part of who we are. They had some dynamic fire behavior. And what we do. Dont try this at home tech know where Technology Meets humanity. Only on Al Jazeera America im david schuster. On target tonight choins is china is far from new york but its stock market crash. , a message to the political establishment. As the greeks sing the blue of a possible exit from the euro zone the financial pain will