Drug maker to help curb painkiller abuse
WASHINGTON-- The maker of a prescription pain medication said it plans to spend millions of dollars to fight the rampant abuse of OxyContin that has been a factor in more than 100 deaths.
In many instances, OxyContin is stolen and sold on the street or obtained by drug dealers who steal prescription pads from doctors, experts say. The time-release medication can last for 12 hours, but, when crushed or dissolved and then ingested, it delivers an instant high similar to heroin.
The result among abusers is sometimes death. OxyContin's manufacturer, Purdue Pharma of Norwalk, Connecticut, said most reports of abuse blamed on its product involve the abuse of multiple drugs. But, it said, like any medication, the drug can have serious consequences when misused.
The problem is national. This week, authorities in West Palm Beach, Florida, blamed OxyContin abuse for 14 deaths in one month.
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Massive Raids Aim To Cripple Hells Angels
138 Arrests Expected To Ease Ottawa Drug Traffic
A police crackdown against Quebec's Hells Angels, which saw more than 100 bikers arrested and which left their leader Maurice "Mom" Boucher facing a 13 new murder charges, will put a dent in the Ottawa drug traffic, police say.
The early-morning series of raids was carried out simultaneously in 77 municipalities across Quebec by more than 2,000 police, including local, provincial and RCMP officers. The co-operative police operation was an avowed attempt to "destabilize" the Hells Angels' crime empire.
A total of 138 arrests were expected to follow the raids, and police seized $7.5 million in cash, 15 motorcycles, 35 cars, and seven buildings as well as a store of weapons and drugs.
The crackdown, called Operation Springtime 2001 and intended as a form of spring cleaning, was the result of a two-year investigation into the biker gang's criminal activities.
Continue While new evidence ...
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