it can help distinguish components in the drug. we may call it heroin, refer to it as heroin, but it usually isn t. sometimes other cutting agents and then sometimes very dangerous chemicals. what we ve seen more recently, especially during covid, is big supply chain disruptions of established cartels, so you have a lot more experimentation, a lot more a lot of new chemicals, synthesis methods being used to manufacture the same end product that s all being called heroin or fentanyl, but what s actually in them is being changed. these machines may represent the future, but for now they are costly. just a handful of groups like louise s around the country even have access to them, which is
treacherous, treacherous drug supply. reporter: and with that, technology has had to keep up as well. it s why louise and her team are now working with dasgupta from the university of north carolina to use infrared pectroscopy to help destinguish specific components in the drug. it s rare to find a sample of heroin that s just heroin. we may call it heroin, we may refer to it as heroin, but it usually isn t. sometimes fentanyl analogues manitol, other cutting agents and sometimes very dangerous chemicals. what we ve seen more recently, especially during covid is big supply chain disruptions of the established cartels. and so you have a lot more experimentation. a lot more a lot of new chemical synthesis puttings being used to manufacture the
point is asked why are people dying? a very interesting thing has happened in recent years, that use of prescription opioids, leveling off or going down and death continues to climb. heroin, the number of deaths have gone up much more dramatically. now even heroin usage is tapering off and still death is happening. why is that? they are mixing it heroin or rather opioids with other depressants. how do we get at that issue and how do we get ways to discourage people from using these dangerous mixes of drugs? it s a very common element. what do you do when someone overdoses? having wider access which can save people s lives, i think we should go further and explore supervised injection facilities for people can take these drugs, they bring their own drugs but take them under medical supervision so if something goes wrong, they can be saved
decided whether they will file new criminal charges against him or not where. good morning, sir. take a seat. but for now the sarnlent and officer nicholson can impose other sanctions, like putting him on lockdown status and taking away good time. any plea guilty, not guilty, guilty with an explanation? guilty with an explanation. okay. go ahead. tell us what happened. first of all, they ran out on me, and found balloons in my girlfriend s hands, and says it was in my possession. it was never in my possession. not saying whether it was going to be, but were you attempting to, but you didn t get it as of yet? yes, sarge. was it heroin? supposedly it was heroin and marijuana they said. right. supposedly? yes. you didn t know what you were getting in? that s right. so go ahead. investigators santa cruz ran up on her so fast that she just kept it in her hand, whatever. that was it.
we re wlerning more about the details of the death of phillip seymour hoffman. investigators found 50 envelopes of what they believe is it heroin in his apartment. here with the expert analysis, my panel. here s what i m hearing and the people i m talking to, we have a heroin epidemic, in big cities, small cities, big towns, little towns. rich neighborhoods, poor neighborhoods. it s true. the oxycontin was $30 a pill, used to give you the similar hi high. now you can buy heroin, you don t know what they mixed it with. the kids start with snorting it, they don t get high enough they start injecting it. it was in the minority