This morning the New York Times posted an in-depth look at the heroin epidemic in Eureka. Reporter Jose A. Del Real spent time with policy makers, law enforcement officials, the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction and lots of users, and his story looks at the way Humboldt County — perhaps the epicenter of the heroin epidemic in California — has been left behind by state government.

“The state is failing miserably, and you can quote me on that,” said Mr. Stewart, the deputy coroner. “The state is failing miserably across the board. They are not putting enough funding and resources toward rehabilitation.”

Maybe the most remarkable parts of the story are the inside looks at the lives of a few chronically homeless Eureka residents as they go about their days and nights on the streets — smoking meth, trying to stay safe, looking for places to sleep. 

Give it a read. Great photos, too.