MIAMI — From “Scarface” to “Miami Vice,” Florida’s drug problem has been portrayed as the story of a single narcotic: cocaine. But for Floridians, prescription drugs are increasingly a far more lethal habit. An analysis of autopsies in 2007 released this week by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission found that the rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs was three times the rate of deaths caused by all illicit drugs combined. Law enforcement officials said that the shift toward prescription-drug abuse, which began here about eight years ago, showed no sign of letting up and that the state must do more to control it. “There is a multitude of ways to get these drugs, and that’s what makes things complicated.”
The report’s findings track with similar studies by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which has found that roughly seven million Americans are abusing prescription drugs. If accurate, that would be an increase of 80 percent in six years and more than the total abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy and inhalants. The Florida report analyzed 168,900 deaths statewide. Cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines caused 989 deaths, it found, while legal opioids — strong painkillers in brand-name drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin — caused 2,328. Drugs with benzodiazepine, mainly depressants like Valium and Xanax, led to 743 deaths. Alcohol was the most commonly occurring drug, appearing in the bodies of 4,179 of the dead and judged the cause of death of 466 — fewer than cocaine (843) but more than methamphetamine (25) and marijuana (0).
“The abuse has reached epidemic proportions,” said Lisa McElhaney, a sergeant in the pharmaceutical drug diversion unit of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s just explosive.”
The legal drug pushers, will ensure that their “turf” is protected.
but leagal drugs are far more available then iillegal drugs…
lets mak availability equal and see what the numbers are……
I would like a little elaboration on “Legal drug pushers” doctors, I assume. And just how am I going to protect my so-called turf?
The problem is that individuals divert drugs prescribed for legitimate medical purposes, either to feed their own drug habit, or to sell. We spend a lot of time trying to weed these people out of our practice, and to prescribe these types of drugs only when clinically necessary. Granted there are a few bad apples, but frankly I resent being referred to as a “legal drug pusher”.
Maybe the next time you get sick you should call your plummer….
“Legal Drug Pushers” would be Pfizer, et al.
But I do tend to get a rise when I am off to CVS or Rite Aid and tell everyone I’m off to the “drug dealer”.
Ditto when seeing a policeman on the street and commenting with a voice of surprise, “Oh my God, he’s got a gun.”
Perspective folks. Get some.
Also true:
Did you know over 40 times as many people get killed in California each year by murder than in the whole state of Rhode Island?
Proof once again that people undoubtedly will abuse anything that makes them feel funny. Anyone notice the drug that killed nobody?
I’m high on marijuana right now!
I have a thought for you.
How many drugs are out there with questionable benefits but potentially severe side effects?
After all, once a drug company spends tens of millions of dollars on developing a drug, why would they not sell it?
If a drug could be useful, and can be shown that the side effects could be properly managed (thereby receiving FDA approval), then the drug company will use it’s network of doctors and sales to push this drug into your hands. Even if a more effective, less expensive, and safer drug is available.
Don’t you think it’s quite the coincident that as soon as a drug becomes generic that some “Better and Safer” drug magically appears? Often this new drug is just slightly different or repackaged in a new and patentable way, but really isn’t any better.
I’ve seen this many times, and I bet you have as well.
Let’s take this one small step further. Is it possible that an existing drug may have been pulled off the market because it lost it’s patent protection (and thereby it’s extreme profitability), so other patentable drugs which do much the same thing could be sold at a much higher profit?
While not disputing this report, simply because I haven’t seen it, too often causes of death are wrongly attributed or guessed at.
For example, a person has a heart attack with high levels of cocaine in their system. What is the cause of death? Someone over the legal alcohol limit dies in a single car crash. What is the cause of death? Did the drugs cause the death or is a contribution enough to put all the blame on the drug?