Pubdate: Mon, 27 Feb 2006
Source: Tillsonburg News (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc.
Contact:  http://tillsonburgnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2388
Author: Nathan Taylor, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone)

OXYCODONE A "PROBLEM" DRUG IN TOWN: OPP

Store Pills In Safe And Secure Manner, Cotnam Advises

The Tillsonburg News -- Abusing prescription drugs is a problem all 
across the country, and Tillsonburg is no exception.

It's not uncommon for police to investigate misuse or theft of 
prescription drugs that contain oxycodone -- a narcotic opioid used 
for treating moderate to severe pain -- which is found in OxyContin 
and percocet tablets.

Oxford OPP Const. Dennis Harwood said the drugs are sometimes stolen 
along with electronics during break-ins. Sometimes, kids even steal 
the pills from their parents or others in their residence who have 
been prescribed oxycodone.

"The prescription drugs certainly are a concern. It is certainly a 
problem in (Tillsonburg)," Harwood said, but emphasized it is a 
widespread issue. "I don't want anybody to get the impression that 
Tillsonburg is any different than other areas. Tillsonburg is still a 
great town."

OxyContin is usually taken every 12 hours, while percocet, a 
short-acting drug, is taken about every four hours, said Dan Cotnam, 
pharmacist owner at Shoppers Drug Mart in Tillsonburg.

Cotnam said OxyContin is commonly prescribed to people with 
degenerative diseases of disks on the spine, cancer-related pain and 
chronic injuries, but he acknowledged the fact it is sometimes misused.

"People would tend to take those to get high," he said. "Don't misuse 
it, because it will disorient you."

Stolen pills can be sold as something they're not on the streets, Harwood said.

"It's not above (dealers) to market something that isn't real," he explained.

He said people need to be cautious as to where they store their pills.

"If it's locked up out of sight, that temptation may not be so great 
and the opportunity (for someone to steal them) isn't there," he 
said. "People should be aware of where their drugs are. Who's around 
them? Are they turning up missing?"

The way people handle prescription drugs in their own homes is 
something police can't monitor or regulate, so "the public should be 
policing themselves and keeping tabs on their medication," Harwood said.

If not, the results could be deadly.

"You start taking drugs that aren't meant for you, it could cause 
severe harm or death," he warned.

Cotnam echoed that point.

"Any of the opioid class of medication can be dangerous. Try and 
store them in a safe and secure manner. Don't have large quantities 
of the stuff on hand," he said.

Pills containing oxycodone are sometimes introduced to youths through 
peer pressure and their own curiosity, Harwood said.

"They want to experiment. They've heard about it. They get curious," 
he said. "They're going to try to pressure other people to take it."

Oxycodone doesn't create a mental addiction. It creates a physical 
dependency. However, that dependency can still lead someone to 
extreme measures to get their hands on the drug.

"If your body is craving it, you're going to do what it takes to 
satisfy that. We've had reports saying 'My house has been broken into 
and I think my kid has done it.' Your $400 television all of a sudden 
goes for $100 somewhere else," Harwood said of stolen property being 
sold for drug money.

That shows how far some will go to get their fix, he said, and that's 
why parents should take action if they think their children might be 
abusing oxycodone.

"There's no simple answer to drugs, but if someone suspects their 
children are on drugs, you might want to call over to the Livingston 
Centre (for referral)," Harwood advised.

On Sept. 30, 2004, a man was arrested after robbing a Thamesford 
drugstore for OxyContin. Just four days later, he was arrested again 
after robbing a Woodstock pharmacy.

"(That indicates) there's either a big market for it or they're just 
totally dependent on it," Harwood said.

In 2005, 32 people were charged with drug offences in Tillsonburg. 
It's unknown how many of those instances involved oxycodone, but 
Harwood said the drug was included in that statistic. Charges 
included possession, trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

He urged anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

"If people would come forward with the information they have, we 
could eliminate some of this drug problem that we do have," Harwood 
said. "You don't do the community any good by sitting on that 
information for years."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman