ILLICIT PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE ON THE RISE HERE

PLATTSBURGH -- Prescription medication abuse and addiction is in the
North Country, is it is across the nation.

"We have known for several years that prescription medication abuse
has become more prevalent," said New York State Bureau of Criminal
Investigation Capt. Robert LaFountain, who began to notice the
growing trend of prescription drug abuse in the 1980s. "We know there
is a black market for prescription medication and we have seen an
increase in drug overdoses in the last years."

According to LaFountain, pain-relieving medications are in a higher
demand and have led to an increase in overdoses and drug-related
fatalities in the area, frequently involving the dangerous pain
reliever fentanyl.

Last month, a Lake Placid man died from an accidental mixed-drug
overdose that included the highly toxic painkiller.

LaFountain said local law-enforcement officials look for growing
trends of drug activity in specific areas to target for drug
investigations. Burglaries and robberies, he said, can often be
indicators of drug addictions in the area.

Within the last two years, several local pharmacies have been
targeted by thieves searching for a wide-array of potent painkillers.
Three pharmacies in the Plattsburgh area, including Kinney Drugs and
Family Drug, have been targeted for prescription drugs, specifically
oxycontin pills and fentanyl patches.

A pharmacist was injured during one incident.

"We know it's a pretty significant problem and it's something we're
actively investigating," said Plattsburgh City Police Chief Desmond
Racicot, whose department recently made arrests in the two most
recent cases that involved Family Drug.

Racicot said that morphine and oxycontin can both sell on the street
for approximately $1 per milligram. A typical prescription includes
30-milligram tablets, which can yield dealers about $30 per pill in
the black market. Most pharmacies would charge approximately $54 for
the whole prescription, making the medications of high value to those
who sell them illegally. Fetanyl patches alone can yield street
prices of anywhere from $50 to $100.

According to LaFountain, the increased abuse and addiction of
prescription medications is partly due to the perpetual cycle of drug abuse.

As the nonmedical use of prescription medications became more
mainstream in American culture over the last few decades, the
occurrence of abuse, additions and overdoses have directly increased.

Law-enforcement and health-care officials recognize that there are
two types of prescription-drug abuse. Oftentimes, a patient who is
properly prescribed the medications can develop an addiction for the
pain relievers, while others attempt to obtain the drugs for illicit
use through theft and illegal purchases.

Paul LaMora, the outpatient clinic director of the Champlain Valley
Family Center in Plattsburgh, said that opiates have more potential
for abuse than other prescriptions. As an individual's tolerance to
the medication builds after continued use, it yields more possibility
for abuse.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, consuming a large
single dose of illicit medications can cause severe respiratory
depression that can lead to death. The agency found that mixing
opioid medications with other central nervous-system depressant
medications or alcohol can drastically increase the risk of
drug-related fatalities.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network, which monitors the reported cases of
prescription-medication abuse cases in emergency departments across
the country, found that opioid pain-relievers, including oxycodone,
morphine, methadone and fentanyl, are now the most commonly reported
prescription drugs involved in abuse and addiction cases throughout the nation.

The monitoring agency found that hydrocodone and oxycodone abuse,
specifically, jumped from an 170-percent increase in 1994 to a
450-percent increase in 2002. The Drug Enforcement Agency found the
retail sale of medically prescribed methadone pills alone has
increased tenfold between 1997 and 2005.

Many states are now creating new training programs for physicians and
pharmacists to reinforce recognition of the signs of possible drug
abuse and addiction, including faster refill requests, frequent
doctor visits for pain medications and tampered prescription forms.

On a local level, the Plattsburgh City Police Department, in
conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency, will be holding a
training seminar for local pharmacists this week to discuss the most
commonly abused medications, patterns of abuse and preventative
measures to take in the event of suspicious prescriptions.

"Prescription drug abuse has become a problem in our community," said
Racicot, who said the department has invited numerous pharmacists
from the area to attend the upcoming training seminar.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has also launched an extensive
national campaign to raise public awareness about the dangers of the
non-medical use of prescription drugs and the increased risk of
dependence after prolonged use.

"The opiate drugs are in high demand and they are more subject to
abuse," LaFountain said. "It's a continuing problem."