Industry News

• February 22, 2010
  Drug horror
  

  In 1998, only 21 West Virginians died of drug overdoses. In 2006, the body count was 460 – 22 times worse. Such horrifying data was found a couple of years ago when Gazette and West Virginia Public Radio reporters jointly dug through state and federal medical records.

  The deadly upsurge stem-med mostly from a flood of painkiller pills such as OxyContin and methadone – dubbed “hillbilly heroin” – into southern Appalachian coalfields.

  
  

  Tagged with: Drug Enforcement, State & Local, Substance Abuse

  
  
• February 22, 2010
  Stats: Pill popping popular for teens
  

  Good news, teens are using less drugs. Bad news, there is an exception.

  State and national statistics say that fewer teens are using most types of drugs. The percentage of Ohio teens who said they have tried smoking cigarettes plunged from 73.1 percent in 1999 to 51.2 in 2007, according to a state survey. Illegal drug use is dwindling or not increasing in most areas.

  But, amid the good news is a bit of bad news, to wit, prescription abuse.

  While statistics vary depending on the source, state statistics show that high school students are abusing more prescription pills than seven years ago. National statistics show a bump in some age groups, and local authorities said they are seeing the rise regionally, as well.

  
  

  Tagged with: Research & Studies, State & Local, Substance Abuse

  
  
• February 22, 2010
  Utah aims to curtail prescription drug abuse
  

  When police officers in Utah pull over a motorist on suspicion of drunken driving, they don’t always smell booze on the driver’s breath. Instead, the driver might be under the influence of prescription drugs.
  “I see more drug-related DUIs than alcohol-related DUIs,” Lindon police Officer Darrell Bingham told The Associated Press.
  But arresting drug-impaired drivers is just one part Utah’s fight against rampant prescription drug abuse in the state.

  
  

  Tagged with: Drug Enforcement, National, Substance Abuse

  
  
• February 18, 2010
  Hallandale puts cap on pain clinics, massage services
  

  Hallandale Beach city commissioners have taken action to curb the opening of new pain management clinics and “massage establishments,” according to city documents.
  Although seemingly unrelated, Hallandale Beach’s police chief said the moves — adopted this month — were in response to criminal and untoward activities taking place at some of the targeted businesses.
  “Right now, people are coming from [all over the country] to get drugs,” said Police Chief Thomas A. Magill.
  Magill said Florida is high on the list of states in which people get quick, easy access to prescription drugs issued by irresponsible physicians working at “pain management centers” and “pain clinics.”

  
  

  Tagged with: Drug Enforcement, Pain Management, State & Local

  
  
• February 18, 2010
  Palm Beach County steps up efforts to keep out new pain clinics
  

  Palm Beach County commissioners in December initiated a moratorium on new pain clinics, trying to stem the spread of loosely regulated establishments blamed for fueling the spread of illegally obtained prescription drugs.
  On Thursday, commissioners passed another in a series of votes needed to formalize the one-year ban —intended to give the county time to set new rules requiring more medical oversight at pain clinics mushrooming across South Florida.
  Also on Thursday, County Commissioner Karen Marcus was meeting with representatives from the State Attorney’s Office, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and medical experts to push for legislation to toughen the rules for pain clinics statewide.

  
  

  Tagged with: Drug Enforcement, Pain Management, State & Local