[ ♪ music ♪ ] on "america tonight" - the release of aung san suy kyi - the suspension of u.s. sanctions, and a steep rise in tourism opened up burma to the world. [ explosion ] but there is a side of burma not advertised - a surge in violence by the burmese army also tonight... a worse

night mare that a parent could go through. alex overdiced in her home. >> we did a do not resuscitate order. the priest came and passed. >> alex might have been brought back to life with this. thanks for joining us i'm joie chen. it is jaw-dropping, the spike of heroin use in this country cropping up in suburban neighbourhoods and rural communities, and lives we never thought would be lost to smack. it's been called less than a national health crisis and the fight to combat it is critical. now more officers armed themselves with an important weapon an antti dote that can save lives and rescue users from the edge of death. lori jane gliha found out what happens when that help comes too

late. >> it's the worst nightmare that a parent could go through. >> reporter: renay's son alex was clean for six months and home for the holidays. >> it was very special, loving giving affectionate. you know would do anything for anyone. give the shirt off his back. >> alex became addicted to oxicontin in college. raena raen raena -- renae thought he was turning his lie around. a rainy night last january was his last at home. >> we had plans to go to the gym at eight in the morning and meet a friend for early lunch on his way back out of up to. the next thing -- out of town. the next thing i know when he went to bed, at four in the morning one of the neighbour's boys screamed for me to wake up

that alex had stopped breathing. >> reporter: alex overdosed in her home. alex went to the hospital. he was not mentally going be the same. we had to make the decision whether we wanted to resuscitate him or not. which was another hard decision. in your heart you do but in your mind you know you shouldn't. >> reporter: alex might have been brought back to life with this. >> it's 1 milligram per nostril. >> reporter: once you inject it into someone's nose how quickly do they come to life. >> up to a minute. >> reporter: it's narcan and can bring an overdose victim back to consciousness. scott davis is with the montgomery county police. members of his department were on the scene, responding to renae's 911 call. weeks later police would be

trained and equipped with the drug that could have saved alex. >> so many things went wrong - all the what ifs. what if he had narcan what if his friend had narcan. what if he had woken me up. there's a lot of things that could have changed the course of events. >> the most recent numbers showed heroin deaths tripled nationwide since 2010 and 2013. with a growing epidemic police departments are changing their approach to drug addiction, arming with ant dotes instead of making arrest. >> an ambulance might have this. what's if the police officer gets to the scene first. >> if we get to the scene, we can administer it. we are authorised to go ahead and minister it. at this point when overdosing, seconds count. we have to get it to them. >> it has been around for decades, injected with a needle.

police departments, emergency crews are turning to an easy to use nasal spray. >> we take the cap off. >> a use not approved by the f.d.a. considered off label by the government. maryland is among dozens of states that allow law enforcements to carry it. a law moving piloty from people that -- a law removing responsibility from people that administer it much the price has nearly doubled in a year leading to profits for the maker. stock jumped by 70% since it went public last june. into many municipalities like montgomery county have contracts that set long-term pricing for the drugs they buy. >> do you think lives will be lost as a result of police not being able to afford it. >> yes, if it gets to the point where it's cost prohibitive, it

will go away. we may come on and overdose - wow, i don't have narcan not wait 6-8 minutes. you have to be there when they are obvious dosing. >> reporter: both the price increase and the stock jump caught the attention of lawmakers. senator bernie sanders and maryland representative elijah cummings wrote this letter to the c.e.o. of emfa star pharmaceuticals: they are working on a response. "america tonight" made requests for comment. all went unanswered. in the past emphastar said the price increase is due to the rising cost of the materials, energy and labour. renae is planning to receive training and keep the drug with

her at all times. she's rushing to the hospital to pick up her son. her other son, who is also an addict. michael has been addicted to opiates, including heroin for years. his mother encouraged him to appear on camera to demonstrate the powerful grip the drugs have on him and a struggle to keep well. can you describe to me what is your situation with drugs? >> i always for some reason resort back to them. i - it's - they control me and everything and make me hurt the people i love the most. >> reporter: when you think about your brother do you worry it happened to you. >> i'm in a dark place. i envied my brother. it's like a prison in your head

with the anti-and drug use, i tried to commit suicide. i wished it happened to me not him. >> reporter: that's the last thing that renae wants. why is it important for you to have narcan here? >> i know when you live with an addict every minute of every day is a potential time for them to overdose. it allows to you have some peace of mind and comfort that should an emergency like this come. you can help. >> but she can't be there every minute of every day for michael. shell need to rely on first responders. hoping she'll never have to relive her worst nightmare. >> "america tonight"s lori jane gliha is standing by. this is remarkable. you say more and more police departments are getting this medication, are putting it in the hands of their officers. is it that accessible? >> yes, a lot of states are starting to do a programme were

not only do they train law enforce. but regular citizens like renae and you and me can go through the training and we can get a certificate qualifying us with a certificate. >> this may be a good thing. if you live or have friends with an addict or you have the potential of overdosing. you may have it in your homes. in this case the police got there first. fire and emergency got there. in these situations every second counts. >> that is what the officer was saying. that it was important to get there quickly or have it in mind. it's not that complicated to use then. >> no it's very simple. they add this atomizer you put it up the nose it's a squirt. training is simply. yes, it doesn't seem hard to use at all, and people can get a certificate and use it. >> you said the f.d.a. has not

authorised this medication for use in this way. is there an option. >> they consider this an off label use. they didn't approve it as a naval spray. there's an autoinjector it had a needle on it and comes in a little box. basically it talks to you. it tells you the instructions that you need to do. you have to go through training to get a prescription for it. it's a little needle and you inject it in the leg. they say most insurance companies - the cost out of bucket is $30. >> it's simply to use. it's the one out there as well. >> "america tonight"s lori jane gliha. next - on art heist on the street. one of the world's most celebrated and secretive artists, banksy and the caper that led his latest work to disappear later, a hot spot in south-east asia.

both for western tourists and for ongoing tribal tensions. long hidden from the world, burma reopens. an insiders view of the fight against the government still under way. and hot on "america tonight" - five things you didn't know about the mother of the civil rights movements. her life-time of defiance that changed america. all on aljazeera.com/americatonight.

[ ♪♪ ] in our fast-forward segment.

is it graffiti or artistic gold. banksy has made his mark around the world, daring to bring his message to the streets, walls and doors, turning the ordinary structures into canvases of great value. that is why art collectors are banking on banksy. >> banksy - he's a well-known british street artist. he started out with small street pieces in europe. and he's become very hot and in eight years he went from a few hundred pounds to selling a million dollar piece at sotheby. >> in this case it's pounds as in british money. >> it used to be the works were destroyed immediately. people are catching on - hey, we have something here. >> part of the banksy mystique is you never know where in the world he'll turn up. in cities across the globe he

leaves a trail of graffiti art. usually done under the cover of darkness. this peaceful image of a heart-shaped balloon became an overnight sensation, people liging up for a moment of -- lining up around the block for a moment of communion. almost as quickly as it came it disappeared. >> i didn't sleep for three days until it got here. >> he brought the work to miami to drum up interest. it's estimated brooklyn paid several hundred thousands. for the owner of the building it's like hitting the lottery fast-forward - talk about a jackpot. at his latest installation someone scored a banksy original for less than $200. he slipped into the grip and pointed -- gaza strip, and painted four murals, one a greek goddess on a family's

home. the family didn't realise the value of the artwork and were persuaded to sell the door for about $180. they didn't though that banksy was worth thousands, and the buyer didn't tell them. [ ♪♪ ] next a new opening, but old fears. long hidden from view. burma re-engages with the world. insiders show us the tribal turmoil still under way. >> and friday on "america tonight". another community torn by different factions and different views. >> it needs major changes, it's a cool down the way it is. >> if there's a problem with them with a large portion of the community, something is wrong. >> "america tonight"s christopher putzel returns to ferguson, missouri to meet those who hope to lead it to the future and away from its reputation as the nation's racial flash point. that's friday on "america tonight".

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[ ♪♪ ] long close to the world, burma has reopened. decades of political strife all but cut off the south-east asian nation. with a new regime and promises of greater liberties for its people burma has become a hot tourist destination. even president obama travelled there last year. still, beyond the gaze of outsiders there are signs of turmoil. a crackdown on ethnic minorities and reports of atrocities communicated by a group -- documented by a group that sheila macvicar found is determined to bring the truth to light. >> reporter: the november visit by president obama to burma

called myanmar showed just how far the military-led country moved away from its image as a human rights pariah. the release of opposition leader aung san suy kyi, the suspension of u.s. sanctions, and a steep rise in tourism opened up burma to the world. [ explosion ] >> reporter: there is a side of burma the government doesn't advertise - a surge in violence by the burmese army. there are hundreds of ethnic minorities in burma, some in conflict with the government for years. ethnic separatists are increasingly under attack by the burmese army and they are driving minor dis out of some -- minorities out of some reasons, forcing many from their homes. it's a conflict that outside the region attracts little attention. a small band of volunteers

risked death daily to document the brutality of the government's continuing wars against ethnic minorities. they call themselves the free burma rangers. >> let's look at the picture on 19 january. >> reporter: this is a devote christian in a buddhist count riff. he's been a -- country. he's been a ranger for nearly 15 years. >> reporter: even armed with faith he struggles not to hate the burmese army.

>> reporter: the free burma ranges were originally founded by an american missionary. they are members of buddhists, christians muslims, an army of accountability seeking to regard human rights violation by the national army. 28-year-old camera man ted is angry over the government suppression of his native aracon state. >> reporter: he has a flag tattooed on his back. reminding him of his people's former glory. >> reporter: he has no illusions about his fate if captured by the burmese army.

. >> if they know i'm a freedom ranger i will be arrested and probably killed. >> reporter: this january they went deep into the state, controlled by an independence army. government forces increased attacks against the separatists and have been accused of bombing villages to drive thousands of mainly christians from their homes. the rangers prepare for a mission to revisit a mission, the site of an attack last year by the burmese army. they plan to interview witnesses and check on those that fled. >> reporter: usually unarmed, they check weapons in case they encounter army patrols.

>> reporter: the journey will take them deep into government-held territory, deep into danger. the first evidence they see of the burmese army attacks are hundreds of villages who fleaed. -- who fled. entire families live in a single room, trying to keep warm. the rangers distribute food instead of an ad hoc medical clinic. one acts as a dentist, extracting a tooth in a 15-year-old girl. just outside the camp the roads become too dangerous to travel. the rangers leave the truck to avoid running into burmese army checkpoints. when night falls, they set out on foot. >> the reason is to avoid contact with the burmese army.

we don't want to have unnecessary problems. >> reporter: after a gruelling 3-day trek covering 60 miles, taking the rangers across streams, rice padies and down a path, they arriving at the village. >> reporter: the rangers film evidence of a national army attack on a school which survivors say killed an 8-year-old boy, and injured three others. >> reporter: down the road they meet one of the few villagers to return home. last year the free burma rangers dug up a grave and found his son's body. he had been tortured and killed

along with six others when he insisted on staying in the village to care for his livestock. he blames himself for allowing his son, deaf and unable to speak, to stay. the rangers take him to visit his son adds grave. >> all they can do is offer comfort and record his story in the hope that one day the old man will see justice.

now the mission enters a final stage. near the village, they receive urgent news. the rangers are told the burmese army is forcing villages to build an access road to their camp. they develop a plan. get as close as possible. film it and get out. the burmese army has been accused of forcing the villages to twork death. -- work to death. they are full of bravado. >> this is mine. i feel nothing. >> reporter: a short while later, he is on edge. the rangers creep within a few

hundred yards of the camp. >> they take the security. maybe they should. they film a grow of villages worked under the eye of a burmese army guard. they film as long as they can. then as quickly as they came the rangers back up and are gone. later, safely away from the burmese army the rangers review their footage and erupt in applause. the next day a report by satellite is sent to the outside world. we send with the other pictures to the international community. >> he reports on another loss. two of their own. three burma ranges killed in a mortar attack.

when the rangers gather to remember their comrades. they give a eulogy. >> i'm sorry, he was a good cameraman. . >> the death strengthened their resolve to value all people regardless of ethnicity or religion sacrifice for the community. that's "america tonight", tell us what you think at aljazeera.com/americatonight. talk on twitter or facebook. come back we'll have more of "america tonight" tomorrow.

[ ♪♪ ] pass [ ♪♪ ] cutting costs doesn't come cheap. every biz in america would like to pay less for labor and energy. it could come as a steep price. next, how robots that work for nothing could fake your jobs and energy sources that could gave the planet if only we could afford them. i'm ali velshi and this is "real money".