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WEBVTT A FORMER ADDICTTELLS US HOW THE DRUG NEARLYKILLED HIM.KETV NEWSWATCH 7'S MICHELLEBANDUR INVESTIGATE>> GIVE ME SOME OF THE.MICHELLE: THE HIGH TODAY FORRUSSELL JANSSEN COMES IN THEFORM OF A HUG.USED TO BE HEROIN THAT MADEJANSSEN FEEL GOOD, SHOOTING UPSIX TIMES EVERY DAY.>> I DID IT FOR 19 YEARS.19 YEARS, I WAS A HEROIN ADDICT.KRISTYNA: JANSSEN SAYS HE QUI-- MICHELLE: JANSSEN SAYS HE QUITCOLD TURKEY AND HAS BEEN CLEANALMOST 20 YEARS.>> I DID MORE DOPE, DID ITLONGER THAN THEY DID, THEY WENTAND I DIDN'T.HE MUST HAVE HAD A PLAN FOR ME,SO I DID NOT GO.MICHELLE: AN OMAHA POLICEUNDERCOVER NARCOTICS SERGEANTBELIEVES JANSSEN BEAT THE ODDS.>> IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY EASY TOOVERDOSE TO THE POINT OF DEATH,TO GO TOO FAR. MICHELLE: HEROIN TODAY, HE SAYS,IS NOT YOUR.DEALERS LACE IT WITH OTHEROPIATES, LIKE FENTANYL.>> IF HEROIN IS ONE OF THE WORSTDRUGS WE HAVE, TAKE THAT TIMESSIX AND THAT WOULD BE FENTANYL.THIS IS HOW IT WAS BEINGPACKAGED.MICHELLE: POLICE ARE TAKINGHEROIN OFF THE STREETS, MAINLYFROM USERS 30 AND YOUNGER.>> ONE PERSON CAME IN, BROUGHTIN BIKES -- BY PEOPLE TH KNEW,DROPPED THEM OFF, SAID, I THINKHE DID DRUGS, AND DROVE OFFBECAUSE THEY'RE NERVOUS ABOUTBEING CAUGHT.MICHELLE: THAT'S WHO'S SHOWINGUP IN EMERGENCY ROOMS. CHI HEALTH CREIGHTON ER DOCTORCHRISTOPHER ZERNIAL TREATED TWOOVERDOSES THIS WEEK. HE TOO IS WORRIED ABOUT WHATELSE IS MIXED WITH THE HEROIN,SO HE ASKS HIS PATIENTSQUESTIONS.>> IS THIS THE FIRST BATCHYOU'VE DONE WITH THIS, HAVE YOUUSED BEFORE, WAS IT THE SADEALER OR SOMEONE NEW, BECAUSETHEY'RE USING SAME AMOUNT THEYUSUALLY DO AND GO COMPLETELYBLUE AND NOT BREATHING.MICHELLE: OFFICERS ARE FINDINGTHE HEROIN-FENTANYL COMBINATIONALL OVER OMAHA.>> IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCHMONEY YOU HAVE, HOW GOOD YOUREDUCATION IS, OR HOW MANYINITIALS YOU HAVE BEHIND YOURLAST NAME OR WHAT BUSINESS YOUOWN.EVENTUALLY, IF YOU CONTINUEUSING HEROIN, YOU ARE GOING TOEND UP LOSING ALL THAT.MICHELLE: RUSSELL JANSSEN KNOWSHE CAME CLOSE.THAT'S WHY HE USES HIS HISTORYOF HEROIN ABUSE TO HELP COUNSELOTHER ADDICTS AT THE OPEN DOORMISSION.>> I HOPE ONE OF THE THINGS THEYDO IS TAKE A LOOK AT ME AND SAY, HE CAN DO IT, SO CAN MICHELLE: JANSSEN TELLS ME WHENHE STARTED AT THE OPEN DOORMISSION FOUR YEARS AGO, NONE OFHIS CLIENTS WERE HEROIN ADDICTS.

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A group of people come running into CHI Health Creighton emergency room carrying a lifeless friend. Doctor Christopher Zernial has witnessed this more often the past few months. He treated two heroin overdoses this week. "One person came in who was brought in by people they knew, and they dropped him off and said, 'I think he did drugs,' and they drove off because they're nervous about being caught," Dr. Zernial said. It doesn't surprise an undercover narcotics sergeant with the Omaha Police Department. We are not sharing his identity because of his undercover work. "We are seeing an increase. Our user population has gone up, and dealer population has gone up also," the sergeant said. He also said the age of heroin users has gone down. They're seeing people age 30 and younger using the drug. What concerns both the sergeant and Dr. Zernial is what is mixed with the heroin. Dr. Zernial asks his patients questions once they're coming off the drugs. "Is this the first batch you've done with this? Have you used before? Was it the same dealer or someone new? Because they're using the same amount they usually do and then go completely blue and are not breathing," Zernial said. Police said heroin is being laced with other drugs, like fentanyl. "If heroin is one of the worst drugs we have, then take that times six and that would be fentanyl," the sergeant said. Russell Janssen, who is the case manager for the New Life Recovery Program at the Open Door Mission, said he is seeing more heroin addicts. He said four years ago he didn't have any clients on heroin. Today one in five are being treated for heroin. "It used to be where you were scum, but now you are admired out on the streets because you are a heroin addict," Janssen said. Janssen, 59, used heroin for 19 years. He said he would shoot up six times a day. One day he took his last shot before going into rehabilitation, hoping it would kill him. He quit cold turkey and now helps other addicts. "I am blessed to still be here, and I want to help others because I know how difficult it is," Janssen said. He too is worried about the more potent heroin mixes being sold on the streets. "They don't understand what they're playing with. It's not like it was back in the day. We knew what we were getting off the streets. Nobody added stuff to it. It was the purity of it," Janssen said. Omaha police said they're finding heroin in all parts of Omaha, not limited to a certain area or certain section of society. "It expands beyond all limits, everyone it touches, it ends up taking them down," the sergeant said. "It doesn't matter how much money you have, how good your education is or how many initials are behind your last name or what business you own, eventually if you continue using heroin, you are going to end up losing all that."