Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday' October 5 2003 — A17 armacies Online ' ' to rise in The Christian Science Monitor : t ' "Vir"J'i '! 1’f ft a' to warn people that the misuse anytime and you can find one explain-tio- n of prescription drugs is dan-for the recent dramatic gerous as well as illegal and deadly spike in the abuse V i There's an assumption that 'f these are legal so they’re OK of prescription drugs You " — that they can use them and t “Get ANY 'walk away without any conse-NEED!!” declares a piece of spam that was sent on a recent quences” says H Westley ' Clark director of SAMHSA's -morning “OUR US Doctors will Write YOU a Prescription Crater for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) "They You will get it NEXT-DAdon’t seem to realize that this via Fed Ex!!” It is simple and anonymous ' misuse can lead to serious " and has helped lead to what problems with addiction” factors A of complex array experts are calling a national has led to die spike in abuse of epidemic of abuse of everyprescription drugs There’s the thing from painkillers to seda-‘ overall increase in die legiti- tives to stimulants Between mate use of prescription drugs 1995 and 2002 there was a as a society For instance 163 percent increase in the since 1995 die number of number of emergency-rooRitalin prescriptions written visits tied to the abuse of predoctors has quadrupled to by according drugs scription the Substance Abuse and During that same time die stimulant became a favorite Mental Health Servicesrecreational drug among Agency teens SAMSHA estimates 9 milThe number of OxyContin lion people now abuse pre-written between prescriptions scription drugs meaning they 1996 and 2000 increased use them for nonmedical and One theory contends that often recreational purposes Three million abusers are kids the increase in HIV and between the ages of 12 and 17 hepatitis C has prompted some illegal substance abusers the abuse can years old And to switch to prescription drugs be deadly: Prescription drugs like OxyContin which can now play a factor in a quarter have an effect similar to heroof all overdose deaths reportin ed in the US The rise of the Internet has US drug officials say this been another factor Since represents a dramatic surge — 1999 online pharmacies — one that took them by It has presented a whole legitimate and otherwise — have mushroomed giving new set of challenges such as kids and addicts alike what a lack of resources to track down shad- appears to be easy access to the drug of their choice owy Internet sites and unethi- cal doctors and pharmacists “Certainly the Internet has ' facilitated the average person Another key issue: finding a obtaining controlled sub-- " way to balance any law-stances when they would not measures enforcement with have done so” says Elizabeth the needs of legitimate online ' Willis chief of drug opera- pharmacies that have helped tions the in Drug Enforcement the elderly and others save ' Administration’s Office of time and money Diversion Control “Most peo-Federal officials have decided one way to combat the pie wouldn’t go into their" doctor and falsify medical is with education problem SAMHSA and the Food and complaints to their doctors Log onto ail ux Y POLLING PLACES 2003 Mi’1 'if: v prescription It’s estimated there are now hundreds of such cyber-phar- -" macies operating from the US and overseas Like almost every kind of com- : t 20-fo-ld sur-pri- se - ' but over the Internet they don’t realize it’s illegal and they can do it anonymously” Government investigators v can only estimate how many online pharmacies exist in part because die illegitimate ones appear and disappear ’quickly The first ones started appearing in abundance in 1999 An investigation done by the General Accounting Office in 2000 found 190 Internet pharmacies operating at the time Of those 79 provided drugs without a proper m - i — ' yDrug Administration have launched a national campaign -- t ’IS v LOGAN MUNICIPAL ELECTION ' ' : - merce on the Internet they’ve proven to be very difficult to regulate and for those operating illegally to prosecute In part that’s because no one agency has direct control The FDA which regulates medicines has sent out letters warning some sites they may be acting illegally But it doesn’t have criminal enforcement capabilities Tlie Federal Trade Commission which regulates fraudulent claims can investigate what are known as “cyberscript mills” and file civil suits but again its hands are tied when it comes to criminal complaints Even the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is operating with limited resources and capabilities Of the 4000 drug agents operating in the field less than 10 percent are - dedicated to tracking the mis- use of prescription drags which in the agency is called drag diversion Most of their efforts are dedicated to tracking down what are called the bricks and mortar — the doctors and pharmacists who appear to be or handing out controlled substances at will The Internet investigations over-prescribi-ng ' are intermixed with those cases and don’t have a single unit or investigator dedicated to them What’s more cated is that these diversion agents have no arrest authori- ty: They have to call on other departments within the DEA In 2002 the inspector gen- eral of the Justice Department criticized the DEA for not dedicating enough resources to drug diversion That concern is echoed by experts in the field “Very little is being done on the Internet situation” says Michael Montagne a professor of social pharmacy at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science “The DEA tries to monitor it but they're just capturing a fraction of what’s coming in over the board” The DEA currently has several cases pending against but can't talk about them It's also been cyber-pharmaci- es involved in several successful prosecutions including one known as the Pill Box Pharmacy case That was a pharmacy in San Antonio that opened a Web site and began prescribing controlled substances after 'a two- - to three- minute telephone interview with a doctor In the 18 months it opera!- ed it sold 93 million doses of the generic versions of Valium and the pain reliever Vicidin VOTING POLING VOTING POLLING PRECINCT PUCE PRECINCT PUCE Loom 3 Vltod 195 S 100 E 2 - dec Canter Logan 1958 100 17- WL fl Bear FUver Head Start 75 S 400 WL 18 Logan Mgh School 162 W 100 S 21 E Riverside School 1075 Sumac Drive Senior Citizen Cntr 240 N 100 E 24 Wilson School 89 S 500 E 8810 Whittier Community 25 EBis School 348 WL 300 N 89& 500E 26 Mt Logan Middle School 875 N 200 E Adams School 530 N 400 E 27 Woodruff School 650 S 1000 W Lundstram Student Cntr 1295 E 1000 N 28 ML Logan Middle School 875 N 200 Cntr 290 9 N 400 E WHson School t 11 12 14 960 N 1400 E 29 Ward Logan th 320 Laurafin Drive 30831 Bridgeriand Applied N 400 Eastridge LDS Church 1350 Eastridge Drive Technology College 1301 N 600 WL E Watkins Printing HOWL 1200 S Bear River Head Start 75 & 400 WL POLLS WLL BE OPEN FROM 7:00 AM IfcOO PM ON ELECTION DAY TO TO VOTE IN THIS MUNICIPAL ELECTION A PERSON MUST BE A REGISTERED x VOTER RESIDING IN THE CITY OF LOGAN ABSENTEE BALLOTS MAY BE USED BY REGISTERED VOTERS WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED PHYStCALiY DISABLED OR WHO EXPECT TO BE ABSENT ON ELECTION DAY AN APPLICATION FORM IS AVAILABLE FROM 255 N MAIN THE OFFICE OF THE LOGAN CITY RECORDER 2 : ' ' SAMPLE BALLOT Judge’s Initial — Official Primary Ballot for Logan City Utah October 7 2003 si i Recorder Wecmshortenyour oZ NO APPRAISAL FEES NOORidNAnONFEES ArtWoiks NO CLOSING COSTS NO ANNUAL FEES Baby Grand Piano C?tp Classy Convertible : Diving Lessons Education Redwood Deck & Spa Ski Boat and Fruit Trees Travel in Style Utensil Collection Garage Home Improvements Vacation to Paris Island Retreat White Picket Fence Jet Skis Xylophone Kitchen Cabinets Yard Shrubs Leisure Cruise O & Trees Zoom Lens Motor Home Nanny Goat Opera Tickets Plane Tickets to Maui Quarter Horse Mountain America makes your equhy loan process quick and easy The hardest pait is ckxidmgtat to spend the money on For rates and infonnatkm visit your nearest branch toby or call toD-fi- ee 1 400-748-43- efl 0 MoumiN America CIEDM UNION VAWjntRomaridLorg E HWcrest School 13 716-901- wshtist-jromAt- E HWcrest School 22 Give US Savings Bonds Get them at your bank and be sure to ask for a gift certificate public service of this newspaper ML Logan Middle' School 875 N 200 960 N 1400 Savings Bond' A Bridgeriand Applied Ibchnology College 1301 N 600 WL Sunshine Terrace 225 N 200 WL 32 aw E 19820 Lundstram Student Cntr 1295 E1000IL 348WL300N 530 w- - HU CMS 501001 15&23 Adams School X MLLogan Middle School 875 N 200 16 11-1- ' |