Interview: U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance on Alabama’s Heroin Problem

| June 9, 2014 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2014/06/heroin.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:500;s:6:"height";i:334;s:4:"file";s:18:"2014/06/heroin.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:6:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"heroin-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"heroin-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:16:"heroin-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"heroin-466x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:466;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"heroin-397x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:397;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"heroin-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:212955;s:14:"optimized_size";i:72272;s:7:"percent";d:66.060000000000002;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:46:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/heroin.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:209289;s:14:"optimized_size";i:68726;s:7:"percent";d:67.159999999999997;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:52:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/heroin-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3666;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3546;s:7:"percent";d:3.27;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1658886468 
1402272000

Heroin use is on the rise across the country, including Alabama. Since 2012, heroin overdoses have killed more than 150 people in Birmingham and surrounding suburbs. And that number continues to rise.

A community summit Tuesday at UAB examines the numerous complicated issues surrounding heroin addiction and abuse. The keynote speaker is U.S. Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole.

For more on the growing heroin problem in Northern Alabama, WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley spoke with U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance. Vance discusses the path to heroin addiction and law enforcement’s efforts to stop the drug from spreading.

The heroin summit is Tuesday, June 10 at the UAB National Alumni Society House from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The summit is open to the public. It’s a project of UAB’s School of Public Health, the Jefferson County Department of Public Health and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Alabama.

 

Israel’s military says aid airdrops will begin in Gaza as hunger grows

Israel's military said the airdrops would begin Saturday night in Gaza, after mounting accounts of starvation-related deaths. Israeli officials also said humanitarian corridors will be established.

Taiwanese political gridlock endures as China-friendly party survives recall vote

A months-long recall effort to oust lawmakers considered pro-Chinese has failed in the self-governing island's legislature.

‘Scotland is already great.’ Protesters troll Trump on his golfing trip

The U.S. president is spending a long weekend in his late mother's birth country of Scotland. There, he's been confronted by protesters waving photos of Jeffrey Epstein.

Southwest aircraft takes a dive to avoid midair collision

The Southwest Boeing 737 dropped almost 500 feet to avoid another aircraft.

Remembering David Nabarro: ‘a great champion of global health and health equity’

That's how the head of the World Health Organization paid tribute to Nabarro's lifelong public health leadership. A physician, Nabarro was a leading voice in the effort to quash the COVID-19 pandemic.

PEPFAR escaped the rescission ax. But where does it stand?

Founded by George W. Bush, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief was taken out of the list of agencies that lost previously pledged funds. But its future is far from certain.

More Government Coverage