DrugBuyers.Com: Increased Diversion

Interesting news segment on CBS late last night, with Bo Dietl stating that teenage substance abuse has changed from alchohol to prescription drugs. He argued that this change was due to the fact such meds are easy to obtain over the internet by sites that don't check age or relevant information about buyer. The following article appeared today.

U.S. Targets Prescription Drug Abuse, Diversion
Updated 12:16 PM ET March 1, 2004

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration announced on Monday a new effort to fight illegal diversion and abuse of painkillers, sedatives and other prescription drugs, a problem that has grown over the past decade.

Officials said they will boost the number of state prescription monitoring programs, which can detect "doctor shoppers" who redeem prescriptions from multiple physicians.

They also will target Internet pharmacies that provide controlled substances illegally. Web-based technology will help with identifying, investigating and prosecuting such pharmacies.

"Criminals who divert legal drugs into the illegal market are no different from a cocaine or heroin dealer peddling poisons on the street corner," Karen Tandy, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a statement.

The effort was announced by officials from the DEA, the White House Office of Drug Control Policy, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Officials also plan expanded education and training on appropriate prescribing and procedures for physicians.

An estimated 6.2 million Americans abused prescription drugs in 2002, officials said. Emergency-room visits related to abuse of narcotic pain relievers have increased 163 percent since 1995.

"The nonmedical use of prescription drugs has become an increasingly widespread and serious problem in this country, one that calls for immediate action," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said in a statement.

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