Pubdate: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 Source: Lowell Sun (MA) Copyright: 2005 MediaNews Group, Inc. Contact: http://www.lowellsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/852 Author: Matt Murphy Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) BILLERICA POLICE TARGET OXYCONTIN ABUSE BILLERICA -- Though wary of hyping OxyContin abuse as another epidemic, Billerica police say the potent painkiller has been so prevalent in town that strengthened efforts must be made to curb illegal use of the drug. The Police Department is currently pursuing six active investigations into OxyContin distribution in the area. But while police officers do their part on the streets, Police Chief Daniel Rosa is also hoping Town Meeting will approve the creation of a Substance Abuse Prevention Committee. "I feel it's a serious problem," Rosa said. "As of the last year or so, we've really been hit hard by OxyContin, in particular. Several years ago, we lost the DARE program because of funding, but we have to do something." Billerica Detective Roy Frost said he has begun to see OxyContin abuse in all segments of the population, from heroin addicts to high-school students. "We have kids who have had no issues with drugs all of a sudden using OxyContin. It's amazing," Frost said. In the past year, Billerica has handled four armed OxyContin robberies and seen at least a handful of residents die from overdoses or drug-related suicide. Rosa also attributes an increase in house breaks over the past several months to drug addiction. Police officers already work with state and federal agencies, such as the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, to analyze trends and receive training in combating drug abuse. But officials believe joining police with other town leaders could help address the problem from a variety of different angles. Rosa has proposed an 11-member committee that would explore education, awareness and possible drug-treatment options in the Billerica schools and the community at large. The committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Board of Selectmen, the Police Department, the Fire Department, the Board of Health, and the Billerica and Shawsheen Valley Technical High School superintendents. "One of the goals is to prioritize resources and bring in training for students, faculty and police," Frost said. Funding for programs would first be sought through grants, but Rosa said the committee may find it appropriate to ask the town for money. Although the committee would focus on all issue of substance abuse, including underage drinking, OxyContin presents a unique problem for police because the drug is widely prescribed for pain to patients with conditions from cancer to severe arthritis. Frost said the prescription pills are being diverted from legitimate sources like physicians to drug dealers. He cited one case in particular in which a tip from a Billerica resident led police to Wakefield orthopedic surgeon Dr. Douglas Howard, who was writing OxyContin prescriptions in exchange for other illicit drugs. Howard was arraigned in Malden District Court on Jan. 31 and is awaiting trail, Frost said. OxyContin is typically manufactured as an 80-milligram pill with five time-released doses. But Frost said many addicts choose to chew the pill to get the full 80 milligrams at once. One 80-milligram OxyContin pill is equivalent in strength to 16 Percocets, another popular painkiller, and Frost said he has seen some addicts take as many as four to five OxyContin a day. "It's a very dangerous drug, and we're highly concerned by the influx we've seen being sold on the street," Frost said. - --- MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman