Beware Tainted Heroin being Sold Locally: State Senator's Plea to Addicts

Following a series of overdoses in Harrison and Eastchester that involved tainted batches of powdered drugs, State Senator George Latimer (D-Westchester) is calling on people with opioid addictions to not use drugs marked with the labels “UFO” and “LOCO”.

The Eastchester Police have reported that the drugs marked “LOCO” appear to have led to at least one overdose due to the substances in the packages sold with that marking, and the “UFO” packets were those involved in the overdose deaths of two young people in Harrison last month, he said in his announcement.

“We must fight the heroin epidemic on every level that we can. And to help keep our young people alive, I think it is important that we spread the warning that “LOCO” and “UFO” can kill you,” Latimer said. “Don’t buy it. Don’t use it."

Last week, the Senator and Assemblyman David Buchwald honored the Harrison Police Department for outstanding work in breaking up a ring that was distributing tainted heroin that resulted in two deaths.

Six people were arrested within days in connection with the deaths; a seventh was charged in July.

At that event, Buchwald and Latimer were joined by Peter Rubinstein, father of Mark, and John Greer, father of Lauren. Mark and Lauren died from overdoses in Harrison and their fathers spoke about the need to work together to stem the tide of heroin abuse and overdose in our communities.

PHOTO: Pictured, from left, are Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont, Assemblyman David Buchwald, Lt. Michael Olsey, Lt. Edward Detlefs, Peter Rubinstein, Chief Anthony Marraccini, John Greer and Senator George Latimer/ contributed

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