Marketplace
![[SeMissourian.com]](http://www.semissourian.com/images/nameplate.gif)
|
|
Fair ~ River stage: 25.16 Falling Saturday, July 4, 2009 |
RSS
 Print
 Email link
 Respond to editor
 Read comments (12)
 Share link
Prescription pills the new No. 1 enemy in drug fightSaturday, October 20, 2007
By Bridget DiCosmo Southeast Missourian Starting at 8 a.m. Thursday, detectives from the Scott County Sheriff's Department staked out a residence in the 400 block of William Street in Sikeston, Mo., based on information supplied by confidential informants. By 5 p.m., at least a half-dozen officers had gone through the small white house executing a search warrant. They escorted one woman to the back seat of a police car while the other residents huddled on the porch, hands cuffed behind their backs. The search didn't reveal cocaine, marijuana or methamphetamines, but police said they found exactly what they were looking for: about 150 tablets of Lorcet, a painkiller, and Xanax, an antidepressant. The pending charges against the suspect, which according to Scott County Detective Branden Caid will be possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, represent a recent crackdown on what Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter called the new No. 1 enemy in the battle on drugs: prescription pills. "Almost every time we serve a warrant, there's prescription meds there," Walter said. The seizures of pills and the knowledge that over the past five years they have become just as much of a street drug as crack cocaine or marijuana led Walter's department to forge a task force with the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department within the past few months to better the combat the prescription drug problem. Used by millions
According to a DEA survey of high school students across the nation, 9.7 percent of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders admitted to abusing the painkiller Vicodin in 2005-2006; 5.5 percent of 12th-graders reported nonmedical use of OxyContin. "Kids are getting more meds, stealing from their parents," said Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore. There is a myth that prescription drugs cannot be as harmful as other drugs because, after all, they are medicine, Collier said. But such drugs, when not used as prescribed by a doctor, can have side effects and can kill. "You can take heroin or meth, and they pale in comparison to things you find in a pharmacy," said Richard Logan, a Charleston, Mo., pharmacist working with the Scott County Sheriff's Department. A Drug Enforcement Administration 2002 report showed that according to 1,304 reports submitted by medical examiners and coroners in 32 states, there were 146 confirmed deaths caused by OxyContin and another 318 where the prescription painkiller was a suspected cause of death. Started with prescription Suzanne, 45, fell into the OxyContin trap when she was rear-ended while waiting at a drive-through, suffering a shattered vertebra and a popped disk. She had already been on disability for health problems but said she'd never so much as experimented with drugs. A doctor placed Suzanne on OxyContin, and suddenly she felt well enough take a job as a bartender. She felt great for eight months, full of energy, until she was taken off of the drug. Then she saw her life begin to spiral out of control as she sought relief from the withdrawal symptoms. For the next several years, Suzanne and her husband lost three homes and filed for bankruptcy so she could afford paying $50 to $60 per milligram on the street for OxyContin, she said in an interview at the Scott County Sheriff's Department. "He would give me money and tell me to go find my medicine," Suzanne said. At one point, her addiction became so consuming she would spend five hours every two days sitting in an emergency room so she could get a few pills to tide her over. "I'd go into raging fits where I'd want to rip my face off. My mind craved my medication," she said of the withdrawal symptoms. "I'd rather go through childbirth." In addition to the financial and physical strife, Suzanne was doing deals with unsavory people, the same ones she now prays her children will steer clear of. "I had to learn how to talk garbage and trashy when I was going to church beforehand," Suzanne said. At one point, Suzanne said, her husband asked, "How far down are you going to take us?" "I can't believe he's still with me," she said, sobbing. Suzanne's troubles reached a climax when she turned to methamphetamines as a substitute for OxyContin and got caught. Doctor-prescribed methadone has helped Suzanne stay clean from OxyContin, and now she's helping the Scott County Sheriff's Department understand how the prescription drug world is run, she said. Suzanne is one of several confidential informants the department relies upon to infiltrate that world. "I don't think there's a lot of people out there right now fearing arrests," Caid said. In addition to making controlled buys and sales and using informants, the task force is designed to educate the public as well as police on the dangers of prescription drugs, Walter said. That's where Logan comes in. The registered pharmacist assists police in identifying prescription pills when they find them during a drug bust. What the sheriff's department would like to see is more cooperation between the medical community and police, Walter said. Depending on the type of prescription drug, someone caught without a prescription could face a class C felony, punishable by up to seven years' incarceration. What makes filing charges in these types of drug cases so difficult, said Cape Girardeau narcotics officer Dan Seger, is that someone can present several explanations as to why they don't have a prescription, such as they lost it, or the pills belong to their parents.
Comments  Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on semissourian.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
|
More stories
|
del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Furl
Reddit
Google
OUTSTANDING JOB
I hope that everyone can see the problem with this sheriff! I was wondering why he would join forces with an outside the county agencey instead of a municipatlity in his county? He has a Drug Task Force operating within his county that has the man power, resources and experience that he could deligate an investigator to to work on this # 1 problem as he calls it. Could it be that he doesn't work with these agencies? Prescription drugs are a problem but so is meth, crack and marijuana. Marijuana, tobacco and alcohol are the most abused drugs by teens in case the sheriff didn't know. Where is your fight on this or any other drug. You have a man designated to work methamphetamine on a federal grant, where is he. Are you going to lose this grant if you dont have any stats to show that you are being effective? I think if the citizens of Scott County took the time they would see that the sheriff has problems telling the truth, his illegal use of county property and his knowledge of law enforcement are all big problems for him. Take for instance telling the truth, State Vs Danny Copeland, the sheriff took the witness stand and lied. It is public record see for yourself. I just wonder why the prosecutor let him get by with it? Any rookie in law enforcement knows that you need pictures of injuries to make an assault 2nd or 1st, but the sheriff did not know. Then on more than one occasion he has used department vehicles and personel to travel outside Scott County and the state of Missouri for personal non-work related trips. I just hope you are paying attention Scott County and just ask a few questions, you will see!
I HAPPEN TO KNOW THAT CITY POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN SCOTT COUNTY MISSISSIPPI AND CAPE COUNTIES WERE NOTIFIED OF THE NEW TASK FORCE AND ASKED TO TAKE PART... WITH NO RESPONCE OTHER THAN SCOTT COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, MISSISSIPPI COUNTY AND THE CITY DEPARTMENTS IN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY. IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE SOMEONE IS MAD AT THE SHERIFF PROBABLY AFTER THEY WERE FIRED OR ARRESTED.
Ok let me get my mind wrapped around this. Youâ??re upset because the Sheriff is enforcing the law and not using the correct Drug Task Force. The sheriff sits on the board of the SEMO Drug Task Force right? So maybe he knows, let me get your words right, the â??man power, resources and experienceâ?? that are available. Let the man do his job. I take it from the back part of the post that your issue has nothing to do with this story and more to do with some grudge. Here are youâ??re words again â??the sheriff took the witness stand and lied. It is public record see for yourselfâ??. If there really were some â??public recordâ?? of the sheriff perjuring himself the media would be knocking each other over to get to it. The media doesnâ??t give cops a break and obviously you donâ??t give the sheriff credit for what he has done. For a full time sheriff we are currently relying on lets keep Rick Walter.
Love the post Mr. Warfield but for future reference when going between a word doc and the paper it turns all quotation marks into question marks. You know a question mark like as to why somebody wouldn't want the sheriff taking drugs off the streets.
for s second ifurlucky I thought you were talking about old bill ferrell. we sure seem to have a lot of people in jail for the Sherriff not doing anything.
Ifurlucky what questions were you talking about. Let me see If I can think of any.
Is it true that the sheriffs dept is now a 24/7/365 department? Is it true that the sheriff doesn't put money into his own pocket for deputies driving his cars? Sounds like Davidson might be right. I didn't think of that before but I bet your a part of the old failed administration. Scott County voted. Your dismissed. Now be mad when the sheriff arrests old base heads.
Be very careful. There are some of us in Scott County who know things about this sheriff from first hand experience (and I do not mean from a criminal's point of view either). Isn't it amazing that Scott County sheriff is in the paper so often. Are you sure it is because he is doing such a great job at being a sheriff or that he has a talent for tooting his own horn. This sheriff has made his share of mistakes and told some tales to make him appear favorable. As usual with politicians, many people will have to see it for themselves before they realize that just because the man looks good on paper (or in the paper) does not always mean he is an honest upstanding person who cares about Scott county. And, once again be very careful what (or who) you take for face value. If I remember right, the media is not always well adept to being unbiased.
Methadone is now the #2 Killer Drug in the U.S. This is a legal drug that has been thought to be safe for the past 40 years. Only recently when its use became approved for pain management patients has the cardio toxic risks emerged. Previously methadone has been used exclusively for replacement therapy for heroin patients and death was thought to be an effect of the accumulation of many years of drug abuse. With the surge in pain medication misuse and abuse more patients are being referred to methadone clinics and physicians treating pain who believe the myth that methadone is safer or non addictive because of itâ??s use with weaning addicts from heroin. Methadone is more addictive then any other pain medication including heroin and because of itâ??s extremely long half life, cardio toxic risks, numerous fatal drug interactions, dosages based on tolerance, and small margin of error. Up until Nov 2006 the government and pharmaceutical companies have been suppressing the numerous health and fatality risks related to methadone.
there are between 800,000 & 900,000 (some stats give diff numbers) heroin addicts in the U.S and 1,881 people died from heroin in the U.S. in 2004.
there are 200,000 people on methadone for drug treatment and I don't have the number of people on it for pain but even if we double the 200,000 and assume it's 400,000 total people on methadone there were 3,849 deaths in 2004
It looks like the "gold standard" is killing more then the drug its supposed to save people from!!!!
Every day 10.9 people die from Methadone (according to 2004 stats, not
including car accident deaths caused by drivers under the influence of Methadone)
We (the families of methadone victims) are requesting new laws surrounding who can prescribe Methadone, clinic rules and regulations as well as stiffer penalties for those caught selling their take home doses. The whole methadone maintenance system needs an overhauling. We cannot continue to allow a legal medication to be killing more people then the illegal drugs. Our government cannot be allowed to use tax dollars to fund their legal drug dealing operations.
We are asking government agencies to enact stricter guidelines in prescribing methadone for any reason. It must be mandatory that all doctors be certified and trained in the pharmacology of methadone; inpatient stays must be required during induction to methadone; all staff be extensively trained in monitoring methadone patients for symptoms of toxicity. Clinic patients should be tested weekly for legal and illegal drugs that are taken with methadone to get â?? hi ghâ?? or experience â??euphoriaâ?? such as benzodiazepines, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana etcâ?Â* and face severe consequences or mandatory detoxification from the methadone program after 3 dirty urines. Selling of take home doses must result in termination from methadone program permanently throughout the U.S. When presenting inebriated at clinic, clinic should also document such activity as well as prevent client from driving. Take home doses for all patients receiving methadone should be eliminated thus preventing the risk of diversion or precautions such as pill safe should be implemented. http://www.thepillsafe.com/
Current statistics show that nearly 4000 people a year die from methadone. These deaths are mostly happening to pain management and detoxification patientsâ?? wit hi n the first 10 days of taking initial dose. Most of these deaths are related to methadone prescribed with other medications that react as additives with the methadone. Diversion of methadone is a serious problem because it lands t hi s most deadly drug on streets. Statistics also state that methadone is contributing to more deaths nationwide then heroin and only second to cocaine deaths.
The potential of abuse, diversion, and overdose to new patients being prescribed methadone is overwhelming. The unique properties of methadone, it's long half life, and it's negative interaction with numerous drugs make it an optimal choice as a last result treatment for chronic pain and addiction.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely
Melissa Zuppardi
Helping America Reduce Methadone Deaths
www.HARMD.org
www.renato-capozzo.memory-of.com
I work in a surgical phsician's office. It is unreal the amount of patients we see on a daily basis, that come in with Oxycontin and Fentanyl patches for pain. The primary care doctors is the one whom prescribed these pain killers, and keep these people on the highly addictive doses. Then, they come to see a surgeon to have the problem corrected.The pain medications our physicians prescrible for after surgery are not nearly as strong. So, the patient's pain is not controlled. They go through withdraws, and more than likely go to the streets to recieve more. It is very sad.
I understand all about prescription drugs. Early this yeas my boyfriend's mom died of a deadly mixture of pills. Amoung them where Oxycotin, Perkacets, Loracets, and many others. The things is when you can go out on the street and pay five dollars a pill for a loracet, or perkacet, two dollars per Xanax, which is used for anxiety not deppression, and thirty to sixty dollars for and oxy, deepending on the strength, it beats paying so much for cocaine or herion, to the user. I have never done drugs, but unfortunately I know way to much due to the life style that my boyfriend's family has lived, and there have been to many deaths in his family to avoid what it does to people. If you have anything that anyone can take, put in in a safe place, because there are many teenagers I know that steal from their parents just to get ahold of these drugs. If I could personally I find away to stop this non-sense with prescription drugs, because I never know whose funeral I am going to next due to them.
MELISSA YOU HAVE IT ALL WRONG. I HAVE BEEN ON METHADONE FOR 5 YEARS AND IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE COMPLETELY AND HAS CHANGED TOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLES LIVES. THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DYING ARE NOT DYING FROM THE METHADONE. THEIR DEATHS ARE CAUSED BY "BENZODIAZEPINES" LIKE XANAX THAT THEY ARE TAKING. DO SOME RESEARCH AND TELL ME OF THOSE 3,849 PEOPLE THAT DIED HOW MANY OF THEM HAD METHADONE ONLY IN THEIR SYSTEM. I BET YOU IT WOULD BE SLIM TO NONE. METHADONE IS GETTING A BAD REPUTATION FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ABUSING DRUGS AND WANT TO SLAM EVERY PILL THEY CAN GET THEIR HANDS ON DOWN THEIR THROAT. EVERYONE NEEDS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE OTHER PILLS MAINLY XANAX AND THEY WILL SEE THAT THE DEATHS ARE BEING CAUSED BY THEM ALONE. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY DEATHS CAUSED BY XANAX ALONE AND I KNOW A FEW PEOPLE MYSELF THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO XANAX. THIS DRUG IS KNOWN AS THE "FOREVER SLEEPING PILL" BECAUSE PEOPLE TAKE THEM AND GO TO SLEEP AND NEVER WAKE UP. AND I BET YOU OF THOSE 3,849 DEATHS THAT IS HOW 99% OF THOSE PEOPLE DIED. SO PLEASE STOP GIVING METHADONE A BAD NAME AND PUT THE BLAME WHERE IT SHOULD BE.