Heroin is an extremely potent illicit drug known as an opioid, originally derived from poppy flowers. People who use heroin typically smoke it or inject it directly into veins. The “high” from this drug is fast-acting, bringing on extreme euphoria. Heroin is very addictive, and its use can lead to overdose and death. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse(NIDA), over 500,000 people are addicted to heroin in the United States. The number has been climbing steadily, likely due to an increase in synthetic opioid painkiller abuse. The so-called “heroin epidemic” is reaching a fever pitch, with many local municipalities overwhelmed by overdoses. Recently, heroin laced with a powerful synthetic opioid called fentanyl has been causing an alarming number of reactions, with one West Virginia town reporting 27 overdoses in a four hour span. In Cincinnati, Ohio, another city ravaged by heroin, the number was 174 over six days. Typically, the city sees four overdose calls per day, with the average per week number being around 25. “It’s been exhausting,” Cincinnati Police Lt. Col. Mike John recently reported. “They’re running from one run to another. It’s been very taxing on the officers and the fire department.” The rise in the use of heroin has largely been blamed on the fact that the number of people abusing prescription painkillers, most of which are chemical opioids and mimic the high of heroin. Commonly used painkillers include fentanyl, hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone….