From 1988 to 1994 the number of emergency room visits in which heroin was a contributing factor rose nationwide to 64,221 from 38,063, according to the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration. This is just a microcosm of the heroin problem that faces our society today. Much of the heroin on Americas streets today is smuggled from other parts of the world (Freeman 52).On Valentines Day, 1988 in Bangkok, winter rains flooded the entire city, turning the city into a miserable swamp. Whitish puddles started to emerge from bundles of sheet rubber. The police ripped open the bundles and seized almost 2,400 pounds of pure China white heroin. This is the largest seizure of heroin uncovered anywhere in the world. The authorities then uncovered a multi billion-dollar syndicate, which stretched throughout the world. This is one of many signs that massive amounts of heroin are being smuggled into the United States. The authorities have to devote more time in trying to control the inflow of heroin (Berger 160). The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Treasury Department, the Coast guard, State, and City Police Departments are all involved in attempting to halt drug trafficking. Some methods used for smuggling heroin are tapping drugs around their ankles or hiding heroin in with babies. Smugglers are clever; one popular method used to smuggle heroin is swallowing long balloons filled with heroin. Smugglers cross the boarder re-entering the U.S. with the heroin hidden deeply in their stomachs. After they arrive safely in the U.S. they either regurgitate or excrete the balloons. The heroin eventually ends up on the streets of America, then onto the drug user (Berger 160). There are many ways of injecting heroin. Traditionally heroin was injected by needle, either just under the skin, (skin popping) into a muscle, (muscling) or directly into a vein (mainlining). In order to be injected, the drug mus...
