FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) – Police and the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force are declaring war on heroin and those who are selling it.
In the last 10 days the city has seen an alarming rise in the number of deaths from the drug.
“We’ve got to put an end to this because it is killing folks.”
Tough words by Florence Police Chief Ron Tyler, but words he said the public needs to hear for good reason.
In the last 10 days in the city of Florence, Chief Tyler said four medical calls have been received for heroin overdoses.
Of the four, three people have died.
“In this particular case, if this is a new batch of heroin and it is just unusually dangerous, its killing folks and we need to get the message out,” stated Tyler. “It’s not just the police department; it’s going to take loved ones, family and friends to get to the bottom of this.”
Tim Glover with the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force said the heroin trade is something rather new to the Shoals area.
He said it wasn’t until 2013 that the drug started showing up.
“Either it is being cut with something that is more poisonous and dangerous, or people are not used to the potency of the drugs. So either it is cut and weak or its potent and people are not used to the strength,” explained Glover.
And Glover added unlike most other drugs, heroin crosses the line of all economic classes and is not discriminatory.
Florence Police and the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force is asking for family or friends of those addicted to heroin to reach out to their agencies so they can shut-down the heroin trade in the Shoals before it gains anymore ground.