LANSING - The Department of Community Health, Michigan Department of Education, and The Michigan Police Department teamed up and held a heroin summit to discuss possible solutions to the problem of heroin use. Days prior to the summit 40 ounces of heroin was seized in a Lansing home by MSP Tri county metro narcotics team.

Lori king, Task Force Section Commander for Michigan State Police said, "We've found that through some of the different studies and again part of the reason the summit was developed is that prescription drug abuse is starting to lead people to use heroin."

There are several symptoms associated with heroin use.

"Decreased level of consciousness so they become more sleepy they're harder to wake, typically their pupils become pin point, very small the last one would be respiratory depression," said John Dery the Associate Director of Critical Care Transport and EMS at Sparrow Hospital.

King explains, "40 percent of heroin abusers started off using prescription drugs the problem is prescription drugs are quite expensive they could be up to a dollar a milligram on the street so if your have a 40 or 80 milligram tablet then it could cost 40 to 80 dollars. Heroin can be obtained for as little as 10 dollars per use but there's no regulation so you don't know how pure it is."

This is why there is a high risk for overdose, because users are unable to measure the amount of heroin being put into their bodies.

"Once we've identified that there?s a chance that there might be a heroin overdose we administer a medication called Narcan. It very quickly counter acts the effect of heroine and will start somebodies breathing right away," said Dery.

According to Up to Date, heroin use has gone from 300 thousand to over 600 thousand in the past five years. To combat this problem the state of Michigan has passed a house bill allowing all levels of EMS to provide Narcan including law enforcement.

The use of Narcan alone won't end this epidemic.

Drey said, "We always give them discharge instructions for rehab enters available, substance abuse programs that are available we encourage them to work with their doctors and families as well too."

MSP's narcotics team has cracked down on Lansing's heavy hitters.

Kink explains what was found, "they were able to obtain information through an investigation that led to a search warrant in the city of Lansing and seized over 4 ounces of heroin. What's really important to know about that is 4 ounces of heroin is a pretty large seizure. The subject has been arrested and arraigned."

No further information could be given on the case because it is still ongoing.