School Administrators Need Parents to Help Control Prescription Drug Abuse
Feb 25, 2010
Prescription drug abuse is on the rise at Pocatello, ID, schools. Drugs are being sold, shared, or consumed at school, administrators say. A lack of education seems to be leading to the increase. Some students believe the drugs are okay because they're from a doctor, while others don't realize the danger of combining multiple drugs. Another problem is access; many students are able to get the drugs from home. Although law enforcement officers are fighting the problem, they need parents to help. "Prescription drug abuse is absolutely a community problem," said Forrest Peck, Resource Officer at Pocatello High School. Prescription drug abuse can affect anyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. "It isn't just the bad kids who do it. We have kids from all grades, all achievement levels that are involved in drug use,” said Jim Harrell, Director of Student Support Services for District 25. School administrators say students also are using alcohol and drugs like marijuana, and the entire community needs to be alert in order to stop these problems.
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Heroin Takes on a New Look
Feb 21, 2010
A liquefied version of black tar heroin is catching up to marijuana and prescription drugs as the drug of choice for teens in the North Galveston County, TX, suburbs, according to police. The teens might not even realize they are using heroin because of the way it’s being marketed by dealers, Police Lt. Josh Rogers said. In some cases, teens charged with possession of liquefied heroin, which is dark brown and typically carried in eyedropper vials, knew it only as “Liquid O,” Rogers said. The “O” stands for opium, the main ingredient in heroin. Liquefied heroin is inhaled through the nose rather than injected in a vein, so dealers are marketing it against the stereotype of the emaciated heroin user with track-marked arms. Police also have found a connection between users of liquefied heroin and prescription drug abuse. Users addicted to opiate-based drugs such as hydrocodone and OxyContin have turned to liquefied heroin because it is getting more difficult to obtain prescriptions for the drugs.
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OxyContin Abusers Often Rely on "Leftover" Meds From Friends
Feb 18, 2010
Almost all people who illegally use or abuse opioid painkillers such as OxyContin or Vicodin get the drugs from a friend or relative who had a prescription, a new report shows. Researchers surveyed more than 5,300 Utah adults, and almost 2% of respondents said they had taken an opioid pain medicine not prescribed to them over the past year. The drug came from a friend or relative 97% of the time, and in most cases the drug was handed over willingly. Researchers at the Utah Department of Health warned that holding on to unused prescription opioid painkillers can result in fatal overdoses, especially among people who were not prescribed the drugs. Dr. James Garbutt, a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said, "The report is more evidence of the increasing problem of opioid misuse in the United States. This problem is costing lives, including the lives of young healthy people. Education of both physicians and the public is needed."
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The Heroin Road: Black Tar Moves In, and Death Follows
Feb 15, 2010
Mexican black tar has seized a growing share of the U.S. heroin market, according to government estimates. The major reason? The success of heroin dealers from Xalisco, Mexico, whose business model includes deep discounts and delivery by car. In Huntington, WV, a rash of black-tar heroin overdoses shook the community. Before the string of fatal overdoses, "we didn't even consider heroin an issue," said Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook. The heroin problem has also grown in Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and Utah. Xalisco dealers have been particularly successful in areas where addiction to prescription painkillers was widespread. Many of those addicts, mainly young middle- and working-class whites, switched to black tar, which is cheaper and more powerful. "When you see these increases, you ask why," said Joe Gay, Director of Health Recovery Services, an Ohio drug-rehabilitation center. "The answer is availability and price. Heroin was never available… and now it's cheap and plentiful."
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Heroin Use Becomes "Epidemic" in Illinois Community
Feb 13, 2010
Heroin’s availability is driving its popularity and death toll in Winnebago County, IL, where more than 50 people have died from heroin overdoses since the start of 2008. Heroin has become the drug of choice in the county, second only to marijuana. “This is an epidemic,” Winnebago County Sheriff Deputy Chief Dominic Iasparro said. “The heroin that is on the streets now is very potent. That makes it very dangerous.” While in rural areas methamphetamine is a larger problem, in urban centers like Rockford the market is for heroin, said Brian Besser, Resident Agent in Charge of DEA’s Rockford office. “It’s widely available and low-priced.” Pat Spangler, a counselor with addiction treatment facility Rosecrance, sees two trends in heroin-addicted patients: More young people are using heroin because of the drug’s easy availability, while others turn to heroin when they can’t get buy an opioid painkiller such as Vicodin or OxyContin.
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Rampant Teen Prescription Drug Abuse "Frightening"
Feb 11, 2010
More than 50 parents gathered at a San Diego high school to hear experts talk about the growing use of prescription drugs by teenagers. Speakers included DEA Special Agent Tom Lenox, San Diego Sheriff Deputy Dave Ross, and a mother who lost her 22-year-old son to prescription drug abuse. OxyContin, a powerful pain medication often prescribed to cancer patients, is quickly becoming the drug of choice among San Diego teens, Ross said. He said the kids who use OxyContin are popular and do well in school; some are athletes, while others are involved in student government. DEA's OxyContin Task Force has educated local law enforcement officers, leading to significant progress in battling the problem, especially at the Mexican border. Ross said many teens are driving down to the border, crossing over for five minutes to get their drugs, and then returning.
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Montana Attorney General Raising Money to Buy Prescription Drug Awareness Ads
Feb 01, 2010
Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock is working to raise up to $500,000 from private groups this year to finance an advertising campaign warning the public of the dangers of prescription drug abuse. The television and radio ads are part of his push to raise awareness about prescription drug abuse and crack down on abusers. Some parts of the campaign, like help for law enforcement, have been paid for with public money from the Department of Justice. Bullock said the privately funded ads are "only part of the outreach." Montana is ranked third in the nation for per capita teen abuse of prescription drugs. Last year, 10% of the state’s teens reported they had abused legal medicines. Around 70% of the drugs Montana’s teens are abusing are legitimate prescriptions that were diverted for getting high. Bullock said many parents don’t think of talking to their kids about prescription drug abuse because they don’t realize there is a problem.
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Most Crime in Hawaii Linked to Drugs, Says Law Agency Official
Jan 30, 2010
Authorities have estimated that as much as two-thirds of all law enforcement investigations in Hawaii are drug-related. "Most of the crime that we see in Hawaii, including the violent crime, is associated with drug abuse or drug trafficking," said Larry Burnett, director of the Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, a partnership of law-enforcement agencies. Hawaii does not specifically track drug-related crime, but a 2006 survey showed 66% of Hawaii law enforcement investigations were connected to drugs, according to a HIDTA report. A 2009 HIDTA analysis pointed out that about half of the cases investigated in Hawaii by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in 2008 were drug-related. Although Hawaii's crime rate remains low, authorities are concerned about a recent uptick in crimes. Several recent high-profile crimes have involved drugs, including crystal meth. The wholesale price of crystal meth is up in Hawaii, signaling steady demand. Authorities are warning residents that although Hawaii’s crystal meth problem is not at the epidemic proportions it once was, it remains a factor in many crimes.
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W.Va. Senate Takes Aim at Prescription Drug Abuse
Jan 27, 2010
Faced with one of the highest fatal overdose rates in the country, the West Virginia Senate introduced legislation aimed at curbing the state's problem with prescription drugs. The seven bills focus on drug diversion—illegally obtaining medications by lying to doctors, buying it on the black market, or outright theft. But there is a type of illicit distribution that is harder for laws to curtail—the kind involving family and friends. "The biggest problem in West Virginia is diversion among friends and relatives, for free," said Anne McGee, director of the Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership. Future legislation may also address treatment for people with drug addictions. “This is a start, this is not the finish," said Sen. Evan Jenkins, one of the leaders of the effort.
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Heroin Use, Deaths Spike in St. Louis Region
Jan 25, 2010
More than 150 people, many in their 20s or 30s, died in the St. Louis region last year of heroin overdoses. They are part of an alarming increase in use that officials link to falling prices and rising purity. The highly addictive drug is now reaching a younger, more affluent, and increasingly suburban or rural market. Detective Ross Qualls of the St. Francois County sheriff's office said heroin users there are primarily young, often from middle- and upper-middle-class families. Many have jobs and support themselves, he said. Officials said some rural users may be switching to heroin from prescription drugs, either because their supply has been cut off or because heroin is cheaper. Heroin’s rising purity means that users can achieve an effective high by smoking or snorting it, so having to inject the drug is no longer a deterrent. Local, state, and federal officials recently held a "heroin summit" at the DEA office in St. Louis to address the growing problem.
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Face2Face Program Shows Teens "Your Face on Meth"
Jan 24, 2010
A California sheriff is using image-altering software to show teens what they would look like after using methamphetamine. He is hoping that personalizing the effects of meth will get teens to stay away from the highly addictive drug. The simulation program Face2Face—often called "Your Face on Meth"—shows teens what they would look like six months, one year, and even three years into a meth habit. "It strikes at the vanity of teenagers," said Sheriff Tom Allman. "Some kids start crying when they see the devastating effect meth can do to their complexion.” Allman is the sheriff of Mendocino County, a rural area on the northern California coast. He has seen a lot of teens and drugs in his 28 years in law enforcement. The Face2Face program was his idea. "The addiction to methamphetamine is over 90% after the first-time use," he said. "My goal is to just stop that first-time use."
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Kentucky Meth Labs at All-time High
Jan 24, 2010
The number of meth labs in Kentucky hit an all-time high in 2009, according to statistics compiled by the Kentucky State Police (KPS). The report showed there were 716 meth labs discovered in Kentucky last year—a 60% increase over the 2008 totals and well above the 2004 record set when 600 labs were discovered. Williams said meth is becoming more popular because of the relatively easy cooking process and the ease of obtaining pseudoephedrine. The development of a quicker, more efficient method for producing meth, called the "one-pot" or "shake-and-bake" method, may be partially to blame for the spike. "This dangerous drug is sweeping Kentucky, spawning crime, and ripping apart local communities—not to mention the huge financial burden it yields,” said Major Joseph Williams, commander for the KSP Special Enforcement Troop. The removal of the 716 meth labs cost the KSP $1.3 million, not including costs to social service organizations, remediation, incarceration, or medical expenses incurred.
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A Common Cut in Cocaine May Prove Deadly
Jan 20, 2010
Levamisole, a drug used by veterinarians to get rid of worms, has become increasingly popular as a "cut," or diluting agent, in cocaine and possibly some heroin. In humans, levamisole can cause agranulocytosis, a life-threatening immune-system disorder that kills 7% to 10% of patients and is rare except in chemotherapy patients and those taking certain antipsychotic medications. Levamisole is now found in 70% of all cocaine seized in the United States, up from 30% in 2008. One possible explanation for the surge of levamisole use is that the drug may enhance both highs and cravings. "It may increase dopamine and by so doing may enhance cocaine effects," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. There have been several dozen cases of cocaine-related agranulocytosis reported in North America—and one known death.
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Heroin Use on the Rise in Minnesota, But Not for Students
Jan 20, 2010
An increase in heroin use in parts of the Minnesota metropolitan area has police and public health officials on the offensive, but college students have seemingly remained apart from the trend. Rates of heroin-related treatment admissions, emergency room visits, mortality, and use by prisoners are all higher than what they were in 2000. The trend has prompted law enforcement agencies to call for greater education on the subject.
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Drug Abuse Prevention Summit Fights to Decrease Utah’s Prescription Drug Abuse
Jan 13, 2010
More than 30 volunteers including police officers, elected leaders, and individuals and families affected by drug abuse gathered at the Drug Abuse Prevention Summit at Utah Valley University. Participants discussed their experiences with prescription drug abuse, and the Substance Misuse and Abuse Reduction Team (SMART) coalition's plan to reduce abuse in Utah. In 2009, more than 300 people died of drug overdoses in Utah, which is currently ranked No. 1 in prescription drug abuse. SMART supports an increased alcohol tax as well as more responsible prescription writing. Despite budgetary challenges, SMART volunteers press on and plan to educate the community about proper prescription drug disposal and prescription drug abuse consequences.
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