Just how frightening is the heroin problem in Eastern Iowa? It's pretty scary.

In Cedar Rapids alone this past year, CBS 2 News reported more than 800 heroin overdoses and 25 of those victims died.

And just this week, a Cedar Rapids man who sold heroin laced with fentanyl that caused a near-fatal overdose was convicted by a jury on Wednesday, July 19 in federal court.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice: "Prosecutors said that Cordero Robert Seals sold heroin to a man, then drove to a convenience store on First Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids, where the man injected the heroin/fentanyl mix. Surveillance video from the store showed that about two minutes after the man left the bathroom, he lost consciousness and collapsed at the gas pump."

That overdoes victim didn't die, but many others are not so lucky. Heroin is highly addictive, it is relatively cheap and available - and that makes for a lethal combination.

Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert says police and prosecutors are doing their best, but enforcement is only part of the solution. Cedar Rapids police officer Al Fear, who direct the group known as CRUSH, says that without more treatment options the problem will only get worse.

If you know someone in Cedar Rapids who is suffering from heroin addiction, they can find help in many places including ASAC. Call 319 390-4611

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