The changing drug culture of heroin. Local police chief says certain clothing brands, logos indicate drugs

 Argentine Township Police Chief Daniel Allen said he’s seen an increase in opioid overdoses in the past 18 months, with three taking place since the summer. One of the people who overdosed was 21 years old.

 Overdosing is now more deadly than firearm fatalities and vehicle crashes, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The number of people in Michigan who have overdosed on opioids, including heroin, reached 1,275 people in 2015, compared to 1,164 firearm deaths and 840 traffic fatalities.

 To help combat this, Argentine Township police will have a dropbox in the police department for people to drop off unused or unwanted prescription drugs to help prevent addiction and abuse of opioids. This is in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which will pick up the pills every few months.

 However, Allen said drug culture is evolving. “There’s a whole new emerging culture of drugs out there,” he said. Many overdoses are from fentanyl, an opioid pain medication. Carfentanil, which is an elephant tranquilizer that is 100 times stronger than fentanyl, is found in more and more batches of heroin.

 “Just the smallest dose, almost a needle head of it, could kill you …When someone … deals a stash and two people die, that makes that batch of heroin very popular. They want that good of a high,” he said. This is why when officers raid drug houses, they often find Narcan as well as opiates, so someone else can save the other person if they overdose.

 “A lot of times when EMT paramedics are helping people with Narcan, they’re angry because they ruined their high,” he said.

 One new way police are discovering people dealing fentanyl is little pills that might resemble Tylenol, with the stamp “Xanex” on them, but are actually fentanyl. Allen said they’re called “Xaney bars,” and the DEA is reporting increases in confiscating these fake pills at the border.  

 “There’s a huge increase in pill stamping presses across the border,” he said, adding these presses are used in medical practices, but anyone can buy a pill press machine online for around $70.

 Another form of heroin, called “pink” or “pink heroin,” known by chemists as U-47700, is circulating. It’s a deadly synthetic opioid much stronger than heroin. Police also are finding that heroin is often laced with synthetic drugs, making it more potent. Most of the synthetic drugs come from China.

 Allen said these hard drugs found in the township mainly come from Flint, Detroit or Ypsilanti.

 Part of the changing culture deals with clothes and logos. One of these logos is “710,” which is “oil” upside down. Oil is an extract from marijuana.

 Allen said certain clothing items from companies, such as Diamond, Cookies, and Supra, may contain hidden compartments in a hat or shoe to hide drugs.

 “You can go to big chain stores and find these clothes because even they don’t know what they mean,” he said.

 Police are also looking for certain logos on the backs of cars. One logo is a double Styrofoam cup with purple liquid being poured into it. Allen said this is a symbol that indicates cough syrup, or codeine, being mixed with a drink. It’s called “lean,” or “purple,” or “purple stuff,” and it could alert police that the driver takes part in those activities.

Misleading numbers

 Numbers from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) show that the number of deaths from opioids or heroin decreased from 2010 to 2014, then increased in 2015. According to these numbers, 83 people died from opioid or heroin in 2010, compared to 34 in 2014, and then 54 in 2015.

 However, these numbers are only from death certificates that specify opioid or heroin as a factor. Not all death certificates list opioids as a factor even when the person died from injuries related to the drug.

Hospitalizations

 The number of opioid-related hospitalizations has increased 120 percent in Michigan between 2000 and 2011, from 9,157 to 20,191 hospitalizations.

Prescriptions

 Michigan physicians wrote more prescriptions for opioid drugs in 2015 and 2016 than there are residents in Michigan. According to state data, physicians wrote 11 million prescriptions for opioids in 2015, another million in 2016, yet the Michigan population was 9.9 million in 2016 according to the United States Census Bureau.

Michigan State Police tip lines

The following are toll-free phone numbers provided by the Michigan State Police to report information on various crimes and illegal activities.

America’s Waterway Watch

(report suspicious activity

on the waterways):

1-877-249-2824

Auto theft:

1-800-242-4328

Arson:

1-800-442-7766

Crime Stoppers of Michigan:

1-800-773-2587

Drug Tip Lines:

Bay Area Narcotics

Enforcement Team:

1-888-286-2814

County of Macomb

Enforcement Team:

1-586-790-3990

Flint Area Narcotics Group:

1-810-233-3689

(Leave a message if the office is closed)

Region of the Irish Hills Narcotics Office:

1-517-265-5787

Southwest Enforcement Team:

1-269-982-8664 

(Leave a message if the office is closed)

State, Sheriffs, Chiefs Enforcement Narcotics Team (Northwest Michigan):

1-800-994-8477

Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement Team:

1-800-621-8651

Thumb Area Narcotics Unit:

1-810-358-3029

Traverse Narcotics Team:

1-231-922-0993

Tri-County Drug Tip Line:

1-866-662-3784

Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team:

1-906-228-1002

HEMP Hotline (Help Eliminate Marijuana Planting):

1-800-235-4367

Report suspicious activity 

(MICHTIP): 

1-855-642-4847 (1-855-MICHTIP)

Methamphetamine:

1-866-638-4847

Michigan’s Most Wanted:

1-877-445-8477

Missing Children:

1-855-642-4847

School Safety Threats

(OK2SAY program):

1-855-565-2729 (8-555-OK2SAY)

Tobacco Tax Violations:

1-855-648-622