There are simple explanations for heroin's re-emergence.  In Atlanta and elsewhere, heroin today- which comes largely from Mexico and South America- is cheaper and stronger than ever.  Because of the lower prices- as inexpensive as $7 a hit, new users are more apt to snort rather than inject the drug.  "Cheese," a snortable powder made from cutting sticky Mexican black tar heroin with an over-the-counter analgesic, has been linked to deaths among young people.  The National Drug Intelligence Center estimates that heroin demand is still driven mostly by 800,000 hardcore addicts.
    But it also warns of increasing demand as people become addicted to prescription narcotics, such as OxyContin, may turn to heroin, which can be cheaper and more available.

This report is actually very true, people think that heroin isn't mainstream anymore, because everyone realized how dangerous it was.  But tons of people still do cocaine which is just as bad, why wouldn't there still be a ton of heroin addicts?  People think it's not as bad if you snort it, at least you're not injecting it right?  Injecting heroin may be a bit more dangerous because you're more than likely going to inject too much and not realize until you're waking up in the hospital, but it's all bad... it's cut and laced then resold the most.

I really thought that heroin had died out after people realised how dangerous of a drug it is. I mean I've talked to drug addicts who do coke all the time and weed is a regular thing, and they say heroin is the one drug that they will never try. But I guess it hasn't died out at all, and oxycontin is just making it more popular again.

Well once you start doing drugs, you start becoming a different person.  People don't set boundaries for themselves anymore.  I swear, it all starts with weed.  I always thought my parents didn't know what they were talking about when they said weed was a gateway drug.  But it really is.  And so are prescription pills. 

Jankowski said: Well once you start doing drugs, you start becoming a different person.  People don't set boundaries for themselves anymore.  I swear, it all starts with weed.  I always thought my parents didn't know what they were talking about when they said weed was a gateway drug.  But it really is.  And so are prescription pills. 

this is very true. I never thought of it that way but its true, a person tries weed and enjoys it and has fun with it for a while but then they want to try something new and the something new is always stronger and more powerful and more addictive.

I think alcohol is also a gatway drug.  It all depends on the people you hang around with.  I know a few people who just smoke weed, not for the fun of it, but because their friends do too.  But they started out just drinking once in while, and it led them to smoking weed and trying other drugs.