COCAINE MAKING A COMEBACK IN SW FLORIDA, DEATH STATISTICS SHOW

While prescription drugs such as OxyContin and methadone are pushing their
way to the forefront in the drug war, street drugs such as cocaine have made
a comeback in Lee County.

In Collier County numbers have stayed relatively the same.

A report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement revealed mixed results
for the patterns of other drugs found in deaths investigated in the first
six months of 2002.

Cocaine-related deaths increased 43 percent between Jan. 1 and June 30 of
this year, versus the same time period in 2001 in District 21, which
includes Lee, Hendry and Glades counties.

Investigators in the Fort Myers-based office found that 19 bodies contained
non-lethal levels of cocaine and 17 of those had other drugs as well. Heroin
was found to be the cause of death in eight cases for the first half of this
year and two times in the first six months of 2001.

"We're seeing a lot of people who die from other things like homicides and
traffic wrecks but have cocaine in their system," said Rebecca Hamilton,
chief medical examiner for District 21. More than 90 percent of all the
bodies investigated by Hamilton's office come from Lee County.

Collier County's District 20 saw a slight decrease in cocaine- and
heroin-related deaths over the same time span in 2001. However, bodies found
to contain some form of prescription painkillers increased in Collier
County. Reports revealed an increase in oxycodone found at non-lethal levels
and an increase in bodies that contained lethal levels of methadone

The Florida Medical Examiner's Commission sorts the information by the 24
districts. Using the results of toxicology tests, officials track trends
with 14 types of drugs. Authorities closely study six dynamic
classifications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, cocaine,
heroin and methylated amphetamines.

The semiannual report collects six months of data from toxicology results at
the 24 medical examiners' offices in the state. Statewide, 87,500 people
died, of which 3 percent had drugs in their systems. Of the bodies examined
statewide, 14 percent of the deaths found with cocaine were homicides.

Physicians of pathology conduct autopsies and death investigations,
collecting bodily fluids and sending them to independent laboratories for
testing. Employees investigate any death that may be criminally related,
suspicious or sudden. In addition, any body scheduled for cremation must be
investigated and approved for cremation.

"Illegal drugs and the sale of them is a war that we fight every day in law
enforcement. It's a tough battle and takes everybody involved from law
enforcement officials to community leaders to parents to get the word out
about how illegal drugs can kill," said Larry Long, FDLE spokesman. "It's
something we're concerned about. We'll try to do anything to get those
numbers down."

Statewide, alcohol continued to be the most common drug found in deaths,
figuring in 37 percent of drug-related cases. A group of drugs called
benzodiazepines came in second with 18 percent and cocaine ranked third with
14 percent. Doctors prescribe benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium to
control anxiety, seizures and alcohol withdrawal.

Methadone-related deaths increased 31 percent statewide between July and
December of the previous year. Doctors prescribe methadone for heroin
withdrawal and as a painkiller.

Law enforcement agencies and legislators receive all this information.
Hamilton said the research can provide them with a clear picture of how
Southwest Florida compares with the rest of the state.

"It's important to see the demographics, to see where we are," she said.
"It's nice to see the overall picture."

While growth in the area has increased medical examiners' caseloads, the
amounts of drugs have remained low because of the older population. In the
Orlando area, investigators see more MDMA or methylated amphetamines such as
Ecstasy and other club drugs that have not been such a problem in Southwest
Florida. Being able to spot trends in this way also helps area law
enforcement agencies. FDLE's Long said the report provides significant
evidence to them that they need to increase enforcement against the abuse of
prescription drugs.

This week the agency released a methadone alert because of the study's
results. According to the alert, "Contrary to popular belief, methadone is a
highly addictive drug." The FDLE previously released a similar alert in
February 2001 for hydrocodone and oxycodone.

At Southwest Florida Addiction Services, the numbers reflect much of what
workers have seen. Director of Adult Services Randy Bixler said the cocaine
numbers did not surprise him and the recent addition of a methadone clinic
in downtown Fort Myers would allow more people access to that drug.

Doctors often prescribe the painkiller in place of oxycodones or
hydrocodones such as OxyContin and Vicodin. Places with an older population
such as Southwest Florida tend to have more painkiller prescribed, meaning
those drugs will more likely be found in toxicology testing, Hamilton said.

Bixler said they still see a lot of oxycodone abuse especially with brand
name OxyContin, a mild derivative of heroin. In both districts, testing
found more hydrocodone in non-lethal levels than in previous years. Lethal
amounts of the drug were detected in six cases between July and December
2001 and two bodies between January and June 2002 in Lee's District 21.

Creating an accurate reflection of heroin numbers is difficult because of
how the drug metabolizes, Hamilton said. When a person has ingested a lethal
amount of the drug, the body shuts down slowly. At this point many people
act comatose and need treatment but many times go ignored. The body further
slides into death. The lapse of time causes toxicology tests to not pick up
the drug.

Heroin metabolizes quickly, breaking down into other chemicals.

"We've seen a moderate decrease in cocaine and an increase in heroin,"
Bixler said. "Certainly on the street we're seeing (heroin) use up."