Pubdate: Fri, 21 Jul 2006
Source: Journal Gazette, The (IN)
Copyright: 2006 The Journal Gazette
Contact:  http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/908
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

BLACKFORD UPSET OVER INCREASE IN DRUG OVERDOSES

HARTFORD CITY - A growing number of overdoses of prescription drugs 
including the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl has caught the 
attention of Blackford County officials.

They met this week to discuss some alarming statistics, including at 
least nine deaths attributed to "mixed-drug intoxication" in the 
county since 2003. Local ambulance runs for the first five months of 
2006 include 30 known drug overdoses and 146 for patients having 
"altered levels" of consciousness.

Detective Jack Beckley, in a statement issued by the Hartford City 
Police Department on Wednesday, noted the irony that prescription 
drugs are distributed by doctors "here to heal us and improve our 
quality of life."

"It is so unfortunate that there are certain people in society that 
take advantage of this by intentionally deceiving medical personnel 
just to get more pills or patches that they can turn around and sell, 
which in turn creates more addicts and dealers. It is a vicious 
cycle," Beckley said.

The nine fatal overdoses claimed the lives of six men and three women 
whose average age was 41, County Coroner Ted Waters said. The drugs 
found in their bodies included opiates and synthetic, opiate-based 
prescription medications such as fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, 
methadone, and alprazolam, a generic form of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.

In nearby Tipton County, toxicology tests showed a 21-year-old jail 
inmate, Joshua Lee Maine, died last November of "mixed-drug 
intoxication" involving fentanyl and alprazolam. At least seven 
deaths in Indiana since 2005 have been blamed on abuse of fentanyl 
skin patches, and more than 100 deaths have been reported this year 
from Chicago to Philadelphia among drug addicts who overdosed on 
heroin mixed with fentanyl.

Hartford City Police Chief Matt Felver and other officials urged the 
public to become aware of the dangers of prescription drug abuse and 
report any suspicious activity involving the sale or trade of medications.

They encouraged local residents not to leave prescription medications 
unattended. They also warned that placing a prescription medication, 
a controlled substance, in a different container not intended for it 
could violate state law.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman