'FIVE YEARS AGO WE NEVER HEARD OF OXYCONTIN,' SW VA. POLICE SAY

BIG STONE GAP - Law enforcement officers in Southwest Virginia are trying
to cope with the rising illegal demand of the painkiller Oxycontin, and
some say the drug is bringing urban-style crime to a rural region.

Kenneth Hill of the Southwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force said the
rising use of Oxycontin has brought several aspects associated with
traditional urban heroin use to the region. Many illicit users of the
painkiller snort crushed pills like cocaine, while others crush and cook
the pills into an intravenous solution and inject it like heroin.

"You don't see heroin in this area," Hill said. "But people are using it
like heroin. We didn't used to see people injecting it, but now sometimes
we find people with needle tracks and bruises all over their arms. One girl
we found had been injecting it between her toes.

"People call it a poor man's heroin, but it's not for poor people. A pill
can go for $20, and not many people can keep up a habit like that unless
they deal the drug or steal to pay for their habit."

Hill said data is not yet available regarding Oxycontin use in the area and
diseases associated with intravenous needle use, but he acknowledged that
hepatitis C and other conditions are a real possibility for intravenous
Oxycontin addicts.

"Five years ago, we never heard of Oxycontin," Hill said. "It was mainly
pot, crack and cocaine. Now it's Oxycontin, Oxycontin, Oxycontin. I talked
with a Kentucky State Police captain awhile back, and he said pot dealers
are complaining they couldn't sell their crop because of the Oxycontin demand."

While Oxycontin has become popular among illicit drug users, Hill said,
that popularity seems to be in isolated areas up and down the East Coast.

"It's a good drug if used properly, but that's the problem," Hill said.
"It's highly addictive. You can go on the Internet, type in Oxycontin, and
find lots of sites or postings where good people tell how they got hooked
on it.

"Some people go doctor-shopping, faking a back injury and seeing who'll
write them a prescription. They may keep some for themselves and sell the
rest, or they may not even use it and sell all of it."

Hill said doctors are often put in a difficult situation regarding
Oxycontin prescriptions because they are obligated to treat a legitimate
condition or pain complaint. Several cases involving physicians prescribing
the drug for profit also have been prosecuted in the region in recent months.

"Basically what you're seeing is a doctor problem," Hill said. "Doctors
need to become more aware of the Oxycontin situation, and I think we're
seeing more signs of that."

A conference of physicians and health care providers is scheduled for
Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Oxbow Center in St. Paul to discuss widespread
OxyContin use in Southwest Virginia.