HEAT

Fighting North Carolina's Heroin Epidemic

Mission

The mission of the United States Attorney’s Heroin Education Action Team (USA HEAT) is to reduce the growing harm to North Carolina families and communities caused by heroin/opiate abuse by increasing community understanding of this epidemic.  USA HEAT is a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and families who have lost a loved one to opiate overdose.  These courageous moms, dads, brothers, sisters and children share their story in order to help others avoid the grief of losing a family member to a drug overdose.

Heroin, Fentanyl, and other dangerous drugs are increasingly available on North Carolina streets, with deadly consequences.  The victims of drug addiction and overdose deaths are getting younger.  Abuse of these deadly drugs is not limited to any particular socioeconomic group.  The increasing incidence of opiate abuse fuels violent and property crime in our communities, stresses our social services network, burdens our healthcare system, and reaches into our schools.  Most of all, this scourge is devastating North Carolina families and robbing us of the promise and potential of thousands of our citizens who are enslaved by addiction.

USA HEAT seeks to inform our communities of what we are all up against, and what we can do to fight back.  Our team members deliver a compelling message, based on the tragedies experienced first-hand.  USA HEAT seeks to mobilize our communities to implement a coordinated, effective response to this growing threat.  United States Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. and his staff partner with members of the team to deliver a truly powerful message to community groups about the growing heroin epidemic and its real impact on our families.