Pubdate: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 Source: Naples Daily News (FL) Copyright: 2002 Naples Daily News. Contact: http://www.naplesnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/284 Author: Sonja Bjelland 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." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh