POLICE SEE LITTLE ILLEGAL TRADE IN OXYCONTIN

As cocaine, methamphetamine and "club drugs" such as ecstasy continue to
spread throughout the Tri-State, police are watching out for another
substance which is making waves elsewhere in the country.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says that OxyContin, a potent
painkiller commonly prescribed for terminally ill people, has become the
drug of choice in mountainous eastern Kentucky, even supplanting cocaine
and meth among drug users.

OxyContin has also become a threat in the Midwest and East, according to
the DEA.

Many OxyContin-related arrests have been made in the Cincinnati area and
some police agencies in Southern Indiana have reported arrests.

Tri-State police say OxyContin has yet to make a splash here, but they fear
it's on the way.

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department has seized at least a couple of
tablets from criminal suspects in recent months, said Det. Ethan Smith.

Evansville police have yet to charge anyone with possessing the drug, but
they have been investigating the theft of about 180 pills from a city
resident suffering from a terminal illness.

Sgt. Mike Lauderdale, an Evansville Police Department drug investigator,
said health insurance companies often order OxyContin and other
prescription drugs in bulk for their patients. He said the practice
sometimes leads to criminal activity.

"Supposedly it's cheaper to do it that way, but we believe it often sets
the foundation for theft, abuse, things like that," Lauderdale said.

Owensboro, Ky., police reported no OxyContin-related crimes. But Capt.
James Skeens said the police department is aware of the drug's growing
presence in Eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio, and "we're monitoring the
situation."

OxyContin is the trade name for the generic oxycodone hydrochloride. The
drug's effect has been compared to that of heroin. It can be crushed and
snorted, or it can be mixed with water and injected.

The drug's street value is about $5 a pill. It's said to be more powerful
than prescription drugs such as Lortab and Valium. Highly addictive,
OxyContin's effect can last up to 12 hours.