re: Second student found dead in a dorm at Loyola (NO)

It's an opiate. You've got all these people who were legitimately (or illegitimately) prescribed opioid pain pills and became addicted to them. Then the government cracks down on prescription pain pills. They're still addicted, even if they can't get their OxyContin, or whatever. Herion feeds their opiate addiction and is more readily available, and cheaper, on the street than opioid pills. But because herion isn't regulated, the addict doesn't always know what they're getting, which can lead to a rash of overdoses, if the heroin is stronger than what they're used to.