January 12, 2015
Geography, transportation and increased demand each play a role in making Tucson one of the epicenters of the state’s heroin epidemic. Dr. Mazda Shirazi, a medical toxicologist at the University of Arizona’s College of Pharmacy, said Tucson’s proximity to the border makes it a hub for Mexican heroin smugglers looking to drop off drugs for distribution around the western United States. “It’s easy to distribute heroin to California, Texas and Colorado from Tucson,” Shirazi said. “Smugglers bring it to the largest community close to the border because it’s easier for them to disappear.” Read more.