cannabisnews.com: Anti-Drug Strategy To Include Pain Killers










  Anti-Drug Strategy To Include Pain Killers

Posted by CN Staff on March 01, 2004 at 07:05:50 PT
By Jennifer C. Kerr, Associated Press Writer 
Source: Associated Press  

Washington -- President Bush's national anti-drug strategy will for the first time target the use of pain relievers, sedatives and stimulants for nonmedical purposes, a problem that has exploded in the last decade. A key part of the strategy being released Monday involves government efforts to help states develop monitoring systems to track a patient's use of prescription medicine. The monitoring programs flag cases that indicate a pattern of abuse, such as "doctor shopping," where a patient gets prescriptions for drugs from multiple physicians.
Prescription medicine now ranks second, behind marijuana, among drugs most abused by adults and young people, said the report by the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy. It cited a recent study by the Health and Human Services Department. Twenty states have prescription monitoring programs, the report said. John Walters, director of the drug policy office, said he expects to expand the program to 11 more states by next year. About $10 million in federal funds will bankroll the expansion. With painkillers such as OxyContin and Vicodin widely available on the Internet, "pill mills" or rogue online pharmacies will come under increased scrutiny. The Drug Enforcement Administration plans to aggressively pursue pharmacies selling controlled substances illegally over the Internet, an effort that will include deploying modern Web crawler technology to search out those peddling prescription drugs online. Physician training and education programs will also be a part of the new campaign. The Drug Policy Alliance, a New York-based group that promotes alternatives including the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, was skeptical of Bush's strategy. It saw unintended consequences that will end up causing more pain and suffering. "The principal impact of this campaign when you step up the law enforcement response is that doctors will err on the side of under-treating pain," said alliance Executive Director Ethan Nadelmann. "So any time a doctor is dealing with a patient in pain, their first instinct is not to prescribe enough." Since 1995, emergency room visits from prescription drug abuse have risen 163 percent, the report said. To highlight the problem among youth, it noted a University of Michigan study that found abuse by high school seniors of Vicodin more than double the use of cocaine, Ecstasy or methamphetamine. One in 10 seniors, it said, reported nonmedical use of the painkiller. Mark Surks of Kendall Park, N.J., who lost his son, Jason, a few months ago to a drug overdose, said he had no idea the 19-year-old was buying OxyContin and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax on the Internet. "I was blindsided," Surks said. "There was no evidence that my son had ever been using any kind of drugs. He was a good kid. He was involved in the religious community, in sports and in music. He had tons of friends. It never crossed my mind that prescription drugs were a problem." Surks praised the new focus by the White House on prescription drugs. Bush outlined other facets of his anti-drug strategy during his State of the Union address in January. They include additional financing for drug-prevention efforts and a sharp increase in funds for schools that want to use drug testing to expand early intervention programs. His proposal to boost funding from $2 million to $23 million for student drug testing has come under fire from some parents, school administrators and civil liberties groups concerned about privacy violations and the effectiveness of the testing. On the Net: Drug Policy Alliance: http://www.drugpolicy.org/ Office of National Drug Control Policy: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/ Source: Associated Press Author: Jennifer C. Kerr, Associated Press WriterPublished: March 1, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press Related Articles:Bush Touts Drug-Testing and Faith-Based Treatmenthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18410.shtmlFaith-Based Drug Wars - Bill Berkowitz http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17022.shtml

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Comment #16 posted by breeze on March 01, 2004 at 21:38:03 PT
How are the states going to fund this program..
This program, with its far reaching tentacles to know more about you than ever before, is just one of the many programs that are in the shadows that bush and his republican congress plans to install before November. It has not, and will not, be on the evening news. It is designed to track down any one who "may" be abusing prescription drugs. But not every person who has mulitiple doctors, with multiple prescriptions, has any intent of doing any thing illegal, let alone abuse the medications that they are on, and the government knows this.The plan is already in place.How is this plan being paid for? Simple, taxes. Taxes on things you already paid for (property, automobiles), and taxes on things that you need to survive (gasoline, electricity, water, food). My state is last in education, first in job loss, and we are mostly controlled by republican representatives. I am not for any party, but it is obvious to me what party we should all be vehemently against.As I have said, taxes will pave the way for this neo-nazi program, and many more on the way. Just today, Lindsey Graham has begun pushing a bill that will end the ability of the little man to sue corporations for their behaviours that are either harmful or illegal. The times ahead are bleak for any citizen that loved freedom, because the elected officials on ALL levels of government are trying to erode any evidence that our nation was ONCE the greatest and most free in the world.Imagine what it will be like in 15 years, when a doctor will not prescribe medication to you because you have a minor discrepency on your record that maybe questioned by law enforcement. You will have to go through law enforcement in order to get treatment for any number of illness, or injury.If you have any history of being prescribed medication that appears on the black list, then you may not get the pain management you need. Your loved ones may be in this situation if it is not you. And it will be generated by the fear that a doctor may lose their liscense due to the new big brother system. But this is okay, you are now part of our NEW WORLD ORDER, and you have complied quite nicely.You have gone into the slaughter trough just as we trained you too. So you can feel safe and sound, no need to worry about terrosits, we have made the terror fully identifiable. We are the NEW WORLD ORDER.George Orwell( authour of "1984") was only twenty years late- its now 2004. There will be changes, and you WILL submit the proper information neccesary.We are watching you, and we don't like what we see. 
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on March 01, 2004 at 18:59:48 PT
A Question 
I just saw a news piece about the drug problem on the Internet on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. My question is if people can get prescription drugs like narcotics or stimulants as easy as the report lead me to believe why would anyone use a street drug? 
 
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on March 01, 2004 at 15:11:35 PT

Related Article from The Associated Press
Bush Anti-Drug Plan to Target PainkillersMarch 01, 2004Hope Yen, Associated PressWASHINGTON - The Bush administration is pushing for stronger state monitoring of prescription drug use in a crackdown on the escalating abuse of sedatives, pain relievers and stimulants.Under the strategy announced Monday, the government will pay states to help develop monitoring systems to track patients' drug use. The programs would flag cases indicating a pattern of abuse, such as "doctor shopping," where a patient gets prescriptions for drugs from multiple physicians.Federal officials also plan to seek out pharmacies that sell controlled substances illegally over the Internet, which will entail deploying modern Web-crawler technology. to search out those peddling prescription drugs online.The goal, say federal health officials: Reduce illegal drug use by 10 percent in two years and by 25 percent in five years."The nonmedical use of prescription drugs has become an increasingly widespread and serious problem in this country, one that calls for immediate action," John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said at a news conference.In addition, the White House is to convene a conference of representatives from the major professional sports leagues and the U.S. Olympic Committee to discuss steroid use by athletes. No date yet has been set.Prescription medicine now ranks second, behind marijuana, among drugs most abused by adults and young people, according to a report by the drug control office. Meanwhile, emergency room visits resulting from abuse of narcotic pain relievers have jumped 163 percent since 1995, it said.The plan would dedicate about $10 million in federal money to augment prescription monitoring programs in 20 states and expand them to 11 more states by next year. Another $138 million would be dedicated toward physician training and education programs as well as fighting illegal Internet sales.Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports legalizing marijuana for medical use, said Bush's new initiative will have a chilling effect on doctors."The principal impact of this campaign when you step up the law enforcement response is that doctors will err on the side of undertreating pain," Nadelmann said.Karen Tandy, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said teenagers are particularly at risk for prescription drug abuse. It is her agency's job to crack down on illegal Internet sales, including the flood of spam with the lure of controlled substances at a low cost."Criminals who divert legal drugs into the illegal market are no different from a cocaine or heroin dealer peddling poisons on the street corner," she said. "DEA is aggressively working to put an end to this illicit practice whether it occurs in doctors' offices or cyberspace."About 13.7 percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 have abused prescription drugs at least once. Federal officials also noted a University of Michigan study that found abuse by high school seniors of Vicodin more than double the use of cocaine, Ecstasy or methamphetamine.Bush's niece Noelle was 24 when she was arrested in 2002 on charges of buying the anti-anxiety drug Xanax with a fake prescription.Copyright: 2004 The Associated PressON THE NETWhite House national drug control policy: http://wid.ap.org/documents/documents/2004ndcs.pdf

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Comment #13 posted by FoM on March 01, 2004 at 13:31:00 PT

Yes BigDawg
You're right and they could leave Social Security alone too.
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Comment #12 posted by BigDawg on March 01, 2004 at 13:25:23 PT

$12,000,000,000
I wonder how many schools could be brought up to standard with $12,000,000,000?I wonder how many hungry children could be fed?I wonder how many children could get needed health care?I wonder....
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on March 01, 2004 at 12:51:14 PT

Drug Czar To Tackle Prescription Medicine Abuse
Drug Agencies Announce $12 Billion InitiativeMarch 1, 2004The Bush administration is taking steps to curb the tide of prescription drug abuse. John Walters, the man in charge of the National Drug Control Policy, said prescription drug abuse has exploded in the United States. And the drug czar said it's a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Walters said that in 2002, more than 6 million Americans abused prescription drugs, compared with just more than 1.5 million two years earlier. A recent report found that prescription medicine now ranks second, behind marijuana, among drugs most abused by adults and young people, according to the agency. Walters announced Monday a $12 billion federal strategy that focuses on reducing demand through prevention, intervention and treatment, and controlling the supply of illegal drugs entering the United States. The initiative includes tracking a patient's use of prescription medicine and using monitoring programs to detect a pattern of abuse, such as "doctor shopping," where a patient gets prescriptions for drugs from more than one doctor. The Drug Enforcement Administration also plans to aggressively pursue pharmacies selling controlled substances illegally over the Internet. "Criminals who divert legal drugs into the illegal market are no different from a cocaine or heroin dealer peddling poisons on the street corner," said Karen Tandy, DEA administrator. http://www.local10.com/health/2886606/detail.html
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Comment #10 posted by Dankhank on March 01, 2004 at 11:07:02 PT:

Whoda Thunk
that those who voted for Bush are disenchanted with him? Didn't anyone pay attention to the virulent hate promulgated by the Conservative bunch.Hate for liberals, women's bodies, hippies, medical Cannabis patients, gays, students, hemp, cannabis, anyone not kowtowing to the conservative view, and probably ... themselves as well.Reap what you have sown.Apologise to all your friends for being suckered, as a friend of mine has, and vote for sanity this time.Peace to all who resist ...
Hemp N Stuff
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Comment #9 posted by mamawillie on March 01, 2004 at 09:36:48 PT

republicans=bigger government
My husband is a physician, and my sister in law is a pharmacist, and they BOTH are republicans who voted for Bush and both are fed up with him and this nonsense. I had told them about the article about Vicodin, and hubby in particular was so angry about yet another government intrusion into the world of medicine. Funny how states-rights and "compassionate conservatives" fall by the way side when bigger government and control over the people benefits them and not the people.Mama
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Comment #8 posted by delariand on March 01, 2004 at 09:27:17 PT

I thought republicans = smaller government?
Yes of course, the solution to our problems is to spend a bunch of money employing thousands of people to track and monitor the problem. Then 5 years down the line we can collect all the data and spend a bunch more money figuring out that we're going to need to increase the budget tenfold for the next 5 years! If you don't believe the government is the largest corporation in America with a monopoly on exploiting the hard work of it's citizens, you need to take a look around. 
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Comment #7 posted by E_Johnson on March 01, 2004 at 09:21:23 PT

Why was your son so anxious Mr. Surks?
"I was blindsided," Surks said. "There was no evidence that my son had ever been using any kind of drugs. He was a good kid. He was involved in the religious community, in sports and in music. He had tons of friends. It never crossed my mind that prescription drugs were a problem."He was buying pain relief and anxiety relief over the Internet. What was it that pained him so and made him so anxious? The problem with these kinds of speeches is:My father would have said this same thing about my brother, and my father was an abusive violent monstrous psychopath.He could really work up a bundle of self righteous shock and surprise over my brother's drug use.But he was the real criminal.So every time a parent pops up in the news says I am so SHOCKED MY PERFECT CHILD WOULD RESORT TO DRUGSThere's usually more than meets the eye. If the kid really was leading a double life -- perfect church going school boy by day and Internet druggie by night -- I would suspect that sexual abuse was involved, and more than likely then his father would be acquainted with the perp, or be the perp himself if that were the case, statistically speaking.Thee are so many lies being thrown around in this war and sometimes some of the biggest liars are the parents.
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Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on March 01, 2004 at 09:14:55 PT

And the states will be so eager to do his bidding 
Right sure, the states are all going to jump at the chance to set up massive new bureaucratic dependencies in their budgets when they're already being stretched past the limit and can't meet basic needs?
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on March 01, 2004 at 07:52:57 PT

Glad You Liked It Kapt!
I quick went to WND to see if they had anything on their site but nope they sure don't! A song popped into my head about Rush!Bad boy, bad boy whatcha gonna do whatcha gonna do when Bush comes for you! LOL!
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on March 01, 2004 at 07:45:43 PT:

ZING! Good one, FoM!
Oh, man, I had to really take a moment to stop laughing. Because a great many of his 'transactions' were done through the 'Net via emails.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on March 01, 2004 at 07:22:35 PT

Rush Limbaugh
I wonder how Rush is going to defend Bush on this one? 
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 01, 2004 at 07:09:53 PT

Maybe This Will Make Kerry Talk
He will need to answer how he would deal with the drug issue I hope.
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Comment #1 posted by mamawillie on March 01, 2004 at 07:09:35 PT

ACLU
Thank God for the ACLU; I hope they are all over this one:*****The Drug Enforcement Administration plans to aggressively pursue pharmacies selling controlled substances illegally over the Internet, an effort that will include deploying modern Web crawler technology to search out those peddling prescription drugs online*******The Bush Regime is now trying to control people's internet habits..... when will this end??!!
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