Pubdate: Tue, 03 Oct 2006
Source: Daily News Tribune (Waltham, MA)
Copyright: 2006 The Daily News Tribune
Contact:  http://www.dailynewstribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3562
Author: Christopher Rocchio
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

CITY CRACKS DOWN ON ROSE TUBES

WALTHAM -- While it may be intended to brighten a loved one's 
spirits, an item being sold at convenience stores and gas stations 
throughout the city could actually be used as a pipe for smoking 
crack cocaine, according to City Councilor Sarafina "Sally" Collura. 
Referred to as a "rose tube," the sealed four-inch glass vial 
containing a miniature fake flower can be found on convenience store 
counters next to lighters and jars of candy. Collura said she was 
informed about the unintended use of rose tubes by a friend who is a 
recovered drug addict.

"I couldn't envision how the rose tube was used as drug 
paraphernalia, but my friend explained that addicts simply remove the 
fake flower and use the vial as a crack cocaine pipe," said Collura. 
"My ears immediately perked up and I decided to look into it."

Collura said she first spotted the Sweetheart Rose, a brand-name rose 
tube, in Waltham at the Store 24 on High Street, where they are sold 
for 99 cents.

After a brief conversation with a clerk at the store, Collura said 
her fears were realized. "The clerk told me it's the biggest selling 
item in the store," she said. "It's just a little gimmick gift, but 
people are actually using them to smoke crack."

Collura said the clerk informed her that those who purchase rose 
tubes usually buy several at a time, and added that the store has 
also recently had problems with people stealing baking soda from the 
cleaning aisle. Baking soda is a common ingredient used in producing 
crack cocaine.

After purchasing a rose tube from the store, Collura said she decided 
to do some online research, which yielded information on numerous 
cities and states across the country, including California, Michigan, 
Milwaukee, Chicago and Albany, which have classified the tubes as 
illegal drug paraphernalia. Collura said she plans to bring up the 
issue at a future City Council meeting, and hopes to have a 
resolution passed classifying the rose tubes as drug paraphernalia in Waltham.

"I mostly want to spread awareness," she said. "It will get store 
owners and police thinking more in terms of what else might be out 
there being used as drug paraphernalia."

Collura said she has already contacted the Waltham Police Department 
about the issue, and was told they were unaware about it. Waltham 
Police said yesterday they have no comment.

"Police are often dealing with drugs and paraphernalia they know 
about, and there are laws in place against possessing them," said 
Collura. "But the rose tubes look innocent. People keep inventing a 
better wheel, so addicts will just use something else when more 
common paraphernalia is banned."

State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, D-Waltham, said as a former prosecutor 
in the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, he dealt with a number 
of cases involving drug paraphernalia, and said it comes in all 
shapes and sizes.

"It's difficult to declare something as paraphernalia, but the 
definition I worked uncovers products or devices primarily designed 
for the intent of ingesting drugs," said Koutoujian. "I'm not sure if 
rose tubes have reached that level yet in Waltham, but they have in 
other parts of the country. We should be trying to remove any object 
that has really been designed for the use of drugs."

Yesterday, clerks at the Store 24 on High Street said they had no 
comment and referred all questions to their corporate office. Store 
24 is owned by Tedeschi Food Shops Inc., based in Waltham, which also 
did not return phone calls yesterday.

"I don't want it to sound like these things are only available at 
Store 24," said Collura. "They're available at lots of different locations."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman