UTAH BRACES FOR OXYCONTIN

Powerful Opiate Is The Latest Rage Among Abusers

Drug enforcement agents and abusers alike in the South have called it
"hillbilly heroin." But abuse of the powerful prescription painkiller
OxyContin has spread rapidly beyond its regional reputation.

And the drug has already been blamed for the death of one Utahn, a
19-year-old Orem man.

"I think this is a very good example of what is going to happen here," said
Barry Jamison, agent-in-charge of Utah's Drug Enforcement Agency.

Drug enforcement officials in the West -- including those in Utah -- say
it's only a matter of time before illegal trafficking of OxyContin is
rampant here.

"Fortunately, we're not seeing the signs of it spreading in Utah, but it's
a popular drug nationwide," Jamison said.

Especially in Appalachia. In the mountainous region of the East and South,
people have robbed pharmacies and family members to feed their habits, and
overdoses have become all too common.

"If this was an infectious disease," says Tim Rutledge, a former mayor of
Gilbert, W.Va., and father of a young abuser, "the Centers for Disease
Control would be in here in white vans."

So what is the draw to this deadly drug?

Dr. Jorge Alvear, who works at University of Utah Pain Management Center,
said the main ingredient in OxyContin — oxycodone — is nothing new. It is a
pharmaceutical sibling to hydrocodone and is found in such painkillers as
Percocet, Percodan and morphine.

Both oxycodone and hydrocodone are derived from opiates and have been found
to be extremely effective in treating pain.

Alvear said OxyContin was produced as a time-released medication. Each
tablet contains a high concentration of painkiller and has a special
coating that allows a little of the drug into the body over time.

"People who abuse it break it up, inject what's inside or suck it down all
at once by chewing it," Alvear said. "So they get all 12 hours of
medication all at once."

OxyContin abusers report feeling a euphoria similar to heroin or cocaine.
The danger, Alvear said, is that too much of it can be fatal.

After a rash of overdose deaths, five Southern states have appealed to
Purdue Pharma, the drug's manufacturer, to help fight illegal use.

In normal doses, the drug dulls the sensation of pain. Alvear said
increased doses can suppress breathing, leading to a slow buildup of carbon
dioxide in the system.

"Basically, the person suffocates," he said.

Jamison said his agents are taking special measures, such as working with
state and local officials, to keep track of illegal distribution and
trafficking of OxyContin.

One way investigators can keep tabs on the drug is through Utah's
prescription drug database. The 5-year-old database contains more than 10
million prescription records.

Steve Davis, chief investigator for the Utah Department of Professional
Licensing, which operates the database, said each pharmacy in the state
reports prescriptions, including the name of the drug, the patient, where
the prescription was filled and the name of the physician.

Davis said his office is keeping an eye on OxyContin abuse, mainly because
Utah's largest prescription drug problem has been painkillers.

Davis has trained his staff on the particulars of OxyContin abuse.

The state's database tracks both doctors and patients. And Davis said his
department keeps track of patients who go "doctor shopping" -- making
appointments with several doctors and picking up prescriptions at each visit.

They also track doctors who appear to be liberally prescribing controlled
substances.

"If we detect something, then we refer it to the police," he said.

Both Davis and Alvear said they feel the recent controversy over OxyContin
has given an effective drug a bad name.

OxyContin is like any other drug -- and all drugs can be abused, Davis said.

"The drug in and of itself isn't evil," he said. "The way it's used can be."

Contributing: Associated Press