Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jun 2001
Source: Evansville Courier & Press (IN)
Copyright: 2001 The Evansville Courier
Contact:  http://courier.evansville.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/138
Author: John Martin, Courier & Press staff writer

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.
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