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A Good Start: President Trump and the Opioid Abuse Crisis

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In late October 2017, President Donald J. Trump declared the opioid abuse problem in America a national emergency. In his announcement, he expressed concern for the thousands of addicts and their plight. Trump also discussed increased federal enforcement and referenced a recent indictment of Chinese citizens who are allegedly involved in the production and trafficking of fentanyl, which makes its way to the United States and kills our citizens.

As could be predicted when any president of either party makes a major announcement, there were detractors. Some criticized Trump for mentioning the crisis 2 months ago but just now deciding to declare an emergency; in other words, what took so long? Others thought that he didn’t go far enough and that the declaration was useless because it did not mandate any funding to fight the crisis. In addition, no mention was made of the use of naloxone, a lifesaving medication, or the expanded use of controlled medication to treat addiction. [Read more…]

Finding Balance Amid the Opioid Abuse Crisis

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I have been around long enough to say that the pendulum swings back and forth regarding the feelings of “experts” on prescribing and dispensing drugs. In the 1990s, it was discovered that Americans were being undertreated for pain, something that I think was valid then and is still valid today.

The pharmaceutical companies initially produced more powerful and longer-acting opioids, morphine and oxycodone. The most successful and most abused was OxyContin, a product that has been used widely by legitimate patients and, unfortunately, illegitimately by others. Purdue Pharma went on to spend millions to not only develop an abuse-deterrent formulation but also assist law enforcement and others in reducing the abuse of its own medication.

The new, reformulated OxyContin found its way to retail pharmacies in August 2010. However, the already-stocked old drug remained on the shelves and did not become almost entirely unavailable until late 2010 or early 2011. [Read more…]

Substance Abuse in Rural America

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I have always lived in rural America, even when working in a city. I prefer rural areas because of their friendly folks with core values and the landscape—open fields, woods, and livestock, mainly beef cattle!

Since April 2016, I’ve had a part-time job commanding the Brown County, Ohio, drug and major crimes taskforce, which needed to be reenergized and expanded. I live just 15 minutes away and was eager to assist. For the past 2 years, Brown County (population: 45,000) has led Ohio in unintentional overdose deaths per capita. With Ohio appearing to lead the country in the number of these deaths, Brown County is a top contending overall leader in this tragedy. At first, I found this almost unbelievable, but then I began to receive almost daily texts regarding overdoses and related deaths in the county. Life squads and emergency medical technicians seem to be constantly busy trying to save individuals with naloxone, whether it be 1 dose or multiple doses. [Read more…]

Drug Diversion and Abuse: Tactics for the War on Drugs

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One of the things I have been asked on numerous occasions is “Are we winning the war on drugs?” Every time I get that question, I have to say that inside I cringe just a little bit. I am not sure who came up with the idea of the war on drugs, but I wish he or she never said it! Usually it is a sincere question coming from a concerned citizen who knows that if we are winning, it sure has been a long war!

However, sometimes the question is designed as a setup by someone who thinks legalizing drugs is the real answer and, by just taxing drugs, all will be well with the world, and the government will actually make money instead of throwing millions of dollars of resources at the problem. Taxing seems to be the answer to everything lately, especially when politicians have an insatiable appetite to spend other people’s money. [Read more…]

Drug Diversion and Abuse: Nasal Naloxone and Law Enforcement

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The issues and concerns about the deaths surrounding prescription drug abuse need no introduction. In Ohio and many other states, the unintentional overdose deaths due to pharmaceuticals accounts for more than fatal traffic accidents and more than the deaths associated with cocaine and heroin combined. When the number 1 substance of abuse for 12- to 17-year-olds is also prescription drugs, the potential for this age group to overdose and die due to abuse is real.

Many of us do our best to combat this problem, with great television and radio ads, printed prevention material, educational sessions, websites, and personal talks with our own kids and grandkids. Everything has been tried from the soft approach to providing grim statistics and videos of those involved in substance abuse. The DARE program has been in business for decades now, targeting our younger children inside the schools with visits from police officers who are dedicated to trying to prevent drug abuse. [Read more…]

How BIG is the problem?

Year after year, state and local law enforcement statistics indicate that pharmaceuticals are almost 30% of the overall drug problem in the United States, running a close second only marijuana abuse. However, until recently, law enforcement, health care professionals, and the general public have placed little emphasis on this huge problem.

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Pharmaceutical Diversion Education (PDE) is designed to assist a wide range of the population in understanding the potential abuse and addiction that can be associated with prescription medication.

Drug Diversion:
Any Criminal Act Involving a Prescription Drug.

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