ANNAPOLIS, Maryland—John Lee policed the streets of Annapolis for more than two decades as a detective. With years of experience under his belt, he was shocked when he and his wife discovered their son Patrick was afflicted by heroin addiction. The dependency disorder would eventually claim his life, leaving his parents and community devastated.

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland—Heroin has been a national epidemic for decades, but as it spreads into the white community, the problem garners attention in ways never seen before. Heroin abuse has afflicted the Clay Street neighborhood in Annapolis since the ’70s.