1/4 of those in Pike drug roundup are charged with trafficking in heroin, a substitute for illicitly obtained prescription painkillers

The spread of heroin, at least partly as a substitute for prescription painkillers that have become more difficult to obtain because of stricter state laws, was apparent in a drug roundup by law-enforcement agencies in Pike County on Friday.

“A quarter of those sought were charged with trafficking in heroin,” Russ Cassady reports for the Appalachian News-Express in Pikeville. “According to a statement from Operation UNITE, which led Friday’s
operation, heroin is becoming a ‘trendy drug’ among Pike County dealers.” (Read more, subscription required)