WHEREAS, heroin abuse is rising while international narcotics trafficking organizations are exporting increasing amounts of heroin to world markets; and

WHEREAS, indicators used to determine the drug abuse situation in the United States reveal that the estimated number of heroin-related emergency room episodes in the United States have more than doubled between 1990 and 1995, rising from just under 34,000 to more than 76,000 during this period; and as the number of episodes increased, so have reported heroin-related deaths which increased from 1,976 in 1990 to 4,625 in 1995; and

WHEREAS, heroin abuse is rising sharply, especially among children and young people and accounting for much of this rise is purer heroin, which allows for new forms of usage. The average national retail-level purity of heroin is approximately nine times what it was in 1980, having risen from 3.6% to 36.3% in 1996, and in some areas such as metropolitan New York City, heroin purity has risen in many instances to the 90 to 95% level; and today’s purer heroin can be inhaled and smoked, which has ushered in a new, younger generation of users; and

WHEREAS, heroin production continues to rise; potential world production of heroin has increased 60 percent in the last eight years to nearly 360 tons; and this is further exacerbated by an increase in South American heroin, which is of extremely high purity and is being aggressively marketed by undercutting the selling price of competition and using established cocaine markets to promote heroin; and

WHEREAS, the media influences the decisions of children and young people, and heroin use has become popularized in the media, entertainment, and advertising; and

WHEREAS, a greater cooperative effort is needed to attack international narcotics trafficking organizations throughout the world, and law enforcement needs to combine its resources with that of education and prevention experts to reduce the impact that heroin has on society; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 104th annual conference in Orlando, Florida, calls for the law enforcement community to devote sufficient resources and for all countries to devote assets and assistance to dismantling heroin trafficking organizations and arresting their leaders; and that law enforcement work in cooperation with demand reduction and the prevention community to reduce the harmful impact that heroin has on our respective societies; and, therefore, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police urges the media, entertainment and advertisement industries to recognize their impact on young people and to do all within their capacity to accurately portray the misery and destruction of heroin abuse.