Once upon a time, heroin was a boogieman drug, rarely found in affluent Ohio cities. Nowadays, the target audience for heroin dealers is considerably younger – and considerably more affluent – than it used to be. Today’s investigators can find black tar heroin in suburban Ohio communities thanks to its reduced cost and wide availability.
Reports reveal that the market price of black tar heroin comes in between $5 and $10. Recovering addict Michael Stechison, one of Brad Koffel’s clients, reports that cities like Upper Arlington frequently see drug deals as young people seek out heroin as an alternative to prescription painkillers.
The Drug Enforcement Agency reports witnessing drug deals in malls, gas stations, and pharmacy parking lots. Koffel describes prescription painkiller and heroin use as a “slippery slope” that “zombifies” its users, robbing them of their good sense and future ambitions.
Client Stechison may be behind bars in Franklin County – a result of his heroin-induced robberies – but his work alongside Koffel has helped raise awareness about the effusion of black tar heroin into Ohio’s most unsuspecting communities.
