This is the third, I believe, heroin related "event" in roughly two months. I am sure there are more that I didn't not see. What is being done to stop this from invading out community? If we think those few that have been caught recently, are the only ones involved in heroin, we should all go back the statistics class. How many are there that we do not know of?

There has been heroin problems in this town since I was in high school, which was late 90's. serveral wmc students have passed from it. this is not a new issue. i work at a drug rehab and we have serveral long valley kids, all heroin.

you are right, they have at least tried alcohol and pot, but it heroin may be the first drug they become actually addicted to. This drug is found more and more in well to do areas where their is kids with a lot of money and no supervision. It is becoming a larger problem as insurance companies don't want to pay for long term treatment. As I use to call to recertifiy clients they would always say after 2 weeks, do u think they will be dropped down or finished in a week or 2? We are not authorized to pay much longer. I would reply this kid is a heroin addict, no treatment is not done in 2 weeks, are u kidding me. so lots of reasons why it is spreading and not being treated properly

I think insurance companies refuse to pay for longer because many heroin users fail to remain clean. Rehabs began looking like revolving doors. They'll pay for initial detox, but the rest is up to the user. Do the work. There is no easier, softer way.

no, they do that to all the kids regardless of drug of choice, it just pisses me off the most when it is heroin and they expect them to be treated in 2 weeks. Addiction is a family disease and unless the whole family is treated and changes that addicted individual has a high chance of relapse. And most insurance companies no longer pay for detox unless it is alcohol (the only withdrawl that u can die from). And really only one detox in NJ that does minors and it is mostly self pay facility.

detox is nothing...most heroin users use detox so they can start using again at a lower rate. they go in using 20 bags a day (lots of money) and they come out and can get high of 3.Statistically, long term rehabs have the most success rates. most insurance companies won't pay for inpatient until u fail at a lesser level of treatment. And most outpatients don't take heroin users that have't go to an inpatient first because of the high risk they may OD on off rehab time

Maybe the cops in long valley and hack
Should go after the dealers instead of petty teenager arrests. The teens and twenty yr olds know where to get it. Get the info from them . Instead of arresting them. I heard that the car wash in hack. Is a good place to start.

GET TO THE DEALER IN THIS AREA! THIS SECTION OF NJ IS ININDATED W HEROIN. WHY? WE HAVE MONEY THAT'S WHY. OUR KIDS HAVE MONEY. COPS GET TO IT! FIND THE MAJOR DEALER.

I wish the police and families within the community would work together on this devastating issue. Heroin destroys the life of the addict and everyone that loves that person. The police do not do enough to eradicate the problem. I know there have been several incidents involving minors over dosing while in the company of others over the age of 18 and were brought to the hospital. I wonder why the police do not to arrest these persons who are know to be involved in illegal drug activity. The families of these addicts feel shameful and blame themselves. This is a heartbreaking problem. I do not know what the answer is, maybe as a community we can work together to find a solution.

Really? We're now going to start blaming the cops for the drug problem? Get a life people! Maybe the parents should be involved in their kids' lives. If the cops arrest too many people, than you'd say their stalking people and invading their privacy. But if you think they're not doing enough, than you bash them for not caring and doing their job. They can't win. You have NO clue what goes on behind the scene, so stop speaking like you do.

You are all missing the point. Why do the kids need to experiment with drugs in the first place? Status at school? Feeling part of something they think they are missing. Not having a purpose? having things too easy? THe need to be cool or respected by their class mates?? THere are many questions and no clear answers . Its a true evil that has infiltrated our world . It preys on the most vulnerable and destroys our future (our children). I have prayed for answers or even a way that I can help. i have known too many people that have been caught up in this horrible waste of human life.

Both guys were released pending a court appearance---even the guy who had the 15 bags of heroin--DON'T GET IT !!!!

the number one answer I get at work on why they tried drugs was that the dare program made them interested. Arresting the dealers gets only so far, another one will pop up. The addicted people aren't buying locally anyway, locals charge more. The people with a habit are buying directly from Newark or Paterson. Many addicted individuals are trying to block feelings they don't want to deal with. They really have to release them pending court, they were doing something illegal, but not violent towards others, only themselves. With 15 bags he will probably not get intent to distribute, if he was an addict it was probably for personal use.

Lets all remember, that while this is upsetting, drug addiction and alcohol is a disease like any other. These people need treatment more then jail. If warrren county has a drug court they will probably go there and get mandated to treatment, especially if it is a first offense. Jails are overcrowded and drug court trys to keep people out that need help not jail time. Morris, Essex, Sussex, and Passiac all have drug court so Warren county may too.

Unsure if Christy passed the needle program in NJ, yet...if he didn't the guy with a needle may get a federal charge.

I recently saw Chris Herron speak at Rutgers. He is an ex NBA player ... his story is amazing...he was a heroin addict. Started a charity called 'Hoop Dreams" I think. His book is called "Basketball Junkie".......he was pronounced dead for 30 seconds. Struggled for years and years. He had a special on espn which I haven't seen yet. Leading Edge lacrosse had him come and speak to the teams. The Rutgers BB team all attended. Would love to get him to come to our HS to speak...it may help 1 child. You cannot blame parents ..... addiction is not always about parents not being involved. my brother is 40 years old and a heroin addict.

Hey Kathy kudos to you my 42 year old sister is a crack head not my parents fault.

To those saying "go after the dealer"... This guys had 15 bags of heroine on him, who exactly did you think was the dealer?

15 bags is actually not alot for an addict, especially an IV user...so he may not be a dealer. Not the parents fault people use drugs, everyone makes their own choice. But as they say idle time is the devils plaything, unsupervised kids with money can equal disaster. I know they have had reformed addicts speak at the high school. Daytop kids have gone there for speaking engagements.

The harderst challenge anyone will ever have to face is a opiate addiction. The detox is brutal for these people. For most people it starts with oxy and percs and escalates to IV drug use.

It takes more then a community, yes drug education is important, but as this is a disease it needs to be treated as such. Insurance companies dictate treatment, unless you are self pay ($400 a day). Counselors at these places are over worked and underpaid. Most counselors have to have a BA and pay starts at $14/hour. They are truly the lowest paid profession that requires a college degree. You get what you pay for so to speak.

Getting kids off drugs costs alot of money especially for rehab facilities. As a parent of a 21 year old I have seen his friends go down this path. I am very lucky he never did it. His friends that were able to get clean and stay clean had parents with lots of money for treatment. It is sad situation.

Possession with intent for 15 folds!? Get a clue. As far as the Police doing a better job, have your kids that 'know' these dealers give the police info. This stuff doesn't magically come to them(P.D.), unless you tell your kids not to 'rat' or talk to the police, which then of course means you are part of the problem and not the solution.

Listen woodman dont get snippy with me you wanna be a jackass to somebody do it to their face .15 bags of drugs should be intent. were they 15 20s or 15 50s who the hell knows and FYI I dont blame police for not doing their job. Over the course of my life growing up in a big city I didnt know 1 drug dealer who rolled with cops and most of my family was involved in law enforcement.

Blaming the police... absolutely rediculous. The LV Police stop too many cars and you get parents and teenagers logging on to the patch and stating we live in a police state. Or how about looking back to the LV Patch question/poll about puttng an officer inside WMC, the very high school that several people above state, has a large drug/heroin problem.

Responders to that poll question stated that putting a police officer inside the school would be a violation of their and perhaps their childrens civil rights and that the LV police were the Gestapo; one commenter compared the U.S./LV to East Germany pre-collapse of the Berlin Wall and Soviet rule.

The police find dealers by arresting addicts and gathering information from them. I am sure the police know who some of the dealers are, perhaps these are two of them, however, just because you know something doesn't mean you can arrest someone right away (Those darn civil rights again!). Information, even credible, concrete information is not proof, and remember, in court, its not what you know, it's what you can prove.

Heroin addiction is not a disease i.e., no one is genetically predisposed to become addicted to heroin. Opium and its derivitives (heroin, morphine, pills, etc...) are the most addictive substances on the planet. You get addicted to heroin by trying it one too many times. For most, one time is one too many. Pill popping, leads to heroin snorting, leads to heroin shooting.

If your family was involved in law enforcement as you say you should know that 15 folds is what most addicts can do in a day and therefore is not intent, jackass

Crack was more the norm in my area not heroin. heroin was huge in the late 60s and 70s. Crack was king and they were 50s or 20s that is where I got my reference from.

At the end of the day there is no point in arguing whose fault it is. The reality is DRUGS ARE A HUGE PROBLEM. They affect everyone no matter how rich or poor. The question is what can we do to stop it from taking our kids lives.

true woodsman, I wrote that several times, 15 bags is nothing to an addict. I treat 15 year old girls with 20 bag a day habits. @cv, 30 day treatments don't work, they need the first 30 days to get their body back to normal. The first 3 months of treatment are usually done for someone else...ie a parent or a legal issue, after 3 months if they stick it out they are there to help themselves and have a chance to get clean. I am a drug treatment counselor, and most of the times the family does't change and the individual is going back to the same "sick" family. Not that that means the family did anything, but when addiction rears its head in a family the whole family is sick and needs treatment (one member becomes the enabler and so on) @iu mayo, people are predisposed to addiction, it runs in families (they don' t have to stick to the same drug of choice). Police do the best they can, they can't catch everyone and they aren't really looking for the people that use and hurt themselves. The whole way drugs are viewed and treated needs to change. Drug addicts are manipulative and sneaky they would find a way around a cop at the school, these kids hide dope in their lipstick tubes, inside bras, etc. Ask any 8th grader where to get pot and I bet they can tell you.

Kids pick and choose what to listen to, parents need to be supportive, strong, around and NOT a friend. Kids need to know right from wrong. Do you know how many LV kids tell me their parents don't make them follow the one kid in a car rule? That is against the law people, so when you are teaching values and morals to your kids and then telling them it is ok to break the law if you don't like it, is not good parenting. Their are classes, family groups, and Al anon meetings that you can go to to learn more about drug use among
teens if you are interested.

if you want addicted teens to come to the schools and discuss their stories and journeys you can have the SAC contact local inpatient rehabs and they will send kids to the schools

and you don't necessarily need to have alot of money to get your kid to a rehab, I am just saying if you self pay that u don't need to deal with insurance company bs, where someone who knows diddly about addiction gets to dictate your kids treatment. Unless you are trying to get into alina lodge rehabs take your insurance and then look for grants and county funding to help you out. Some kids go there free.

Pardon the question if it seems dumb (never had to deal with drugs), but if the 15 bags were really for his own use why not consolidate them into one or perhaps two larger bag?

John G...you buy them in tiny little glassine bags...so 15 bags is a bundle and a half, they don't put it in big bags like pot. CV, I didn't mean families have to get help forever. If the family gets help and the addict never changes, the family has to use tough love and distance themselves or cut themselves off from the user. You can't do that "dance" with the addict forever.

We had a recovering addict come to LVMS in the nineties. Told terrifying stories about kids peeling skin off their bodies, arrests, deaths.... We were all on bored. Drugs were bad. THEN he picked up again and it was all over the place. Please, let's not bring addicts into school to go over horror stories.

they have had them there more recently then the 90's P. Homer. Last year they were there. The addict may have picked up agian, but that is the disease of addiction and something the students may need to know. I don't understand, the person who told his story at the school used again and that made other kids use? The kids claim DARE makes them more interested then anything. They need to make the program more terrifying. I know kids who have turned their attitudes around from hearing others speak. One bad experience doesn't mean anything, and one story gone bad does not have that much power, the ones that may have "used due to the story" probably would have used again.

Made other children pick up?! Those words were not written by me. I don't know what the solution is and I'm not pretending that I do. I've had more than enough experience with addicts and alcoholics. I know the disease all too well. Have lost too many loved ones from the disease. Three months of rehab did NOT work for them. It's a lifetime disease. It's a part of life. People are going to fall victim. I think our community is doing the best it can to deal with an impossible problem. People will always find a way to a high. Period. We just cannot save everyone. Sad, but true.

u said he picked up again and then it was all over the place. I don't get it, one person relapsed and then drugs were everywhere? Long term rehab is the only way to go, I didn't say 3 months...6-9 months is long term. I don't think in this community we learned too much stuff to scare us straight so to speak. Just basic facts on drugs were taught in school.

I think my words were misinterpreted. You appear very dedicated to your work. I respect and value that. Thank you for your input.

I love what I do, and I still am in contact with some of the old heroin users who are still clean, and some are even counselors now