Heroin deaths and overdoses surged to record levels in the Twin Cities area last year, leading officials to warn that the toll could climb even higher in 2013, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “The supply of heroin has never been greater [ ] it's limitless in the state of Minnesota,” said Carol Falkowski, a former state chemical health director. Hennepin County, which saw drug seizures double from 2010 to 2012, recorded 37 deaths in 2012 – up from four in 2008. Part of the reason for the rise in heroin use is the increased use of prescription pills such as OxyContin and Vicodin. People who abuse such medications often turn to heroin, which mimics the effects of pills but in Minnesota can be even cheaper and stronger. The amount of heroin seized across the state rose 78 percent from 2010 to 2011.