As heroin seeps its way through Atlanta’s veins, campus police say it has yet to poison the heart of Atlanta, Georgia State.
“A vast majority of what we deal with is marijuana,” Interim Chief Carlton Mullis told The Signal. “Other areas of the state have seen [heroin use] but we haven’t seen it here.”
Between 2011 and 2015, heroin-related deaths have increased almost 400 percent, according to reports by the Fulton County medical examiner’s office. Atlanta has become a known ‘hub’ for heroin in the southeast. In surrounding counties of Cobb, Forsyth and Dekalb, heroin deaths are becoming more common.
At the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit held in Atlanta on March 29, President Barack Obama discussed prescription drug and heroin abuse calling the crisis a “public health problem” rather than a “criminal problem.”
“It’s important to recognize that today we are seeing more people killed because of opioid overdose than traffic accidents,” he said. “You see an enormous ongoing spike in the number of people who are using opioids in ways that are unhealthy, and you’re seeing a significant rise in the number of people who are being killed.”
Georgia State does not have a substantial heroin problem on campus, according to Mullis. However, students seem to be involving themselves in other drugs such as marijuana, alcohol and prescription drugs. Most drug incidents on campus relate back to parties or minor infractions involving residents in housing.
Mullis said he stressed the importance of knowing your friends and who you surround yourself with, and keeping a good head on your shoulders while being in the big city.
“A lot of the time we have people who come from smaller towns, or smaller communities, who are used to buying drugs from their friends, and they come to the big city of Atlanta and are buying their drugs from stone-cold criminals,” he said,
Mullis said that drugs and alcohol have been well contained at Georgia State. However, the idea that a more intense narcotic, such as heroin, is used nearby does not sit well with some students.
“Heroin use being near campus is definitely something to be concerned about,” Georgia State junior, Amanda Alvarado told The Signal. “Students need to be educated about drug use and realize all the effects drugs, such as heroin, cause.”
“Educate yourself on what you’re putting in your body, and know what it is,” said Mullis.
The chief encourages anyone who may be or know anyone involved with drugs to seek help either through the Georgia State’s counseling services or Crime Stoppers, the anonymous hotline.
