Taylor Updates League on Heroin Epidemic, ‘Pills to Heroin’ Educational Program

SEA ISLE CITY — There is bad, good and hope. That sums up what Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor told the Cape May County League of Municipalities Nov. 25 regarding the county’s heroin epidemic.
Like an itinerant preacher speaking from a pulpit at Lobster Loft restaurant, Taylor recounted last summer’s Operation White House. The multi-agency drug sweep linked federal, state, county and local law enforcement agents, and netted 15 kilograms of heroin, although not all was aimed for sale in Cape May County, he said. Arrested in that operation were 18 individuals, four of them face first-degree crimes, which could “potentially mean life in prison,” said Taylor. Also confiscated were two kilograms of cocaine.
He placed the value of the bust at “over $10 million.”
As mayors and other elected and appointed officials listened, Taylor pointed $219,000 in cash seized as well as six vehicles, and six horses.
Impressive as those numbers may be, Taylor used them to preview his message: “We need to go out and talk to our grandkids, our nieces and nephews and anyone who will listen, and tell them, ‘Don’t experiment with heroin, not even once.’
He cited the purity of heroin available locally that is capable of “hooking” an unsuspecting youth with as few as one or two hits. The narcotic is normally trucked to the area from Mexico under the aegis of a powerful cartel, he said.
“The good side of it, recently we have been working with educators in Cape May County,” said Taylor. Pills to Heroin, is a program that members of the Prosecutor’s Office will deliver to any school willing to open its doors.
Team members who appear before students include a detective who heads the narcotics unit and the assistant prosecutor who heads Drug Court. They will speak to middle and high schools, said the prosecutor. Wildwood Catholic High School was the first to hear the program, several others schools followed, he said.
“We try to get the kids aware. The hard part is getting the parents aware, the kids are more aware than the parents,” he said.
Taylor cited Middle Township where, through the efforts of Police Chief Christopher Leusner, counselors are available at the municipal court level to counsel those involved in drug cases. The hope is that they will be persuaded away from drug use, and thus do not move to higher courts or prison for drug-related offenses.
Unsuspecting grandparents, in whose medicine cabinets are stored potentially addictive prescription drugs, may be unwittingly supplying youths with their introduction to the illicit use of narcotics, Taylor said. Among the drugs possibly found in homes, prescribed by physicians for pain are OxyContin and Percocet. Once hooked on those drugs, youths may find themselves searching for the narcotic and paying as much as $1 per milligram for Percocet.
That’s when the stage is set for a heroin pusher to entice them with an offer of a bag for $3 to $5, or even free to get them addicted.
“Once this kid is hooked on heroin, it’s not an easy thing to get rehabilitated,” Taylor continued.
Taylor also cited his office’s on-going efforts in concert with Cape Assist to help addicts kick their craving for heroin.
While there is a drug available that “takes away craving for heroin,” Taylor said its $1,000-per-dose price puts it out of range for the majority of addicts. Health insurance will not cover that cost.
“We need to get legislators to get action at the federal and state levels to get treatment for these people,” Taylor said.
“I see people stealing copper pipes from under churches, mugging people on the streets, and a whole list of crimes,” he said, noting many of them seek money to buy drugs.
Taylor said some have asked him “Why do you try to save these people?” His reply, “Because they are someone’s daughter or son or granddaughter or grandson.”
Severity of the county’s heroin problem is shown by numbers: 98 overdoses and 17 fatalities. “There would have been nine more fatalities without Narcan,” he said.
To that end, he noted “good news” that recently placed Narcan spray in police cars so they may respond to heroin overdoses and possibly save a life.
Funds to pay for the drug came from drug forfeitures, he said.
To date, nine young lives have been saved by police administering Narcan, he said. The spray is administered nasally.
“If the police officers were not there (with Narcan), rescue or EMS is frequently too late. We are making a difference,” he continued.
Taylor said the county needs an in-house treatment facility for addicts, capable of carrying out treatment longer than 29 days, although he doubted the county “has those funds.”
William Kehner, league treasurer, noted that Taylor did not accept the meal offered to members. In compliance with the Code of Ethics for County Prosecutors, Taylor wrote a check to cover the $25 cost of his meal.