Heroin is now cheaper and purer than before, creating a steady increase in its use and abuse. The increase may also result from the excellent harvest of opium poppies and the drug's availability based on supply and demand. The three major regions of illicit cultivation of opium poppies are Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, and Mexico. Although cocaine has replaced heroin as the illegal drug of choice in the past few years, law enforcement officials need to be aware of the increase in heroin trafficking and the potential need to shift their focus back to heroin. Several major arrests and seizures have occurred within the last few years. Photographs