March 2nd, 2018 by WCBC Radio

James Pyles, retired Maryland State Police major and director of safety and security for the Maryland Department of Health, said one way to curb the nation’s heroin epidemic is simple: simply don’t start. Speaking at a seminar of the long term health risks of substance abuse held last week at the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center, Pyles noted that seventy-five percent of people walking around today addicted to heroin started with prescription opioids. Pyles provided updates on the regional impacts of the heroin crisis and once again offered some alarming statistics.