Pubdate: Thu, 19 Jan 2006
Source: Athens News, The (OH)
Copyright: 2006, Athens News
Contact:  http://www.athensnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1603
Author: Nick Claussen, Athens News Associate Editor
Series: http://www.mapinc.org/source/Athens+News
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone)

LOCAL DEATHS RESULT FROM THE MISUSE OF DRUGS, ALCOHOL

Most users of illegal drugs know about their dangers hypothetically,
but they don't think they themselves will ever get hurt.

The fact is, though, that people do get hurt and some people even die
from misusing drugs, including right here in Athens County.

Last year, according to local officials, around 10-12 people died from
drug or alcohol overdoses in Athens County, in addition to others who
may have died while driving under the influence or who had drugs or
alcohol in their system when they officially died from other causes.

In addition, an untold number of people die earlier than they might
otherwise, as a result of the long-term health impacts of misusing
drugs and alcohol.

Previous years have seen roughly the same number of drug overdose
deaths, according to local officials.

The Athens County coroner's reports for 2005, for example, show at
least nine reports of people of various ages dying of drug or alcohol
overdoses. These people did not have other health problems that
contributed to their deaths; it was the drugs or alcohol that killed
them.

Athens County Coroner Scott Jenkinson Sunday listed just a few of the
cases from the last year where people died simply because of drug overdoses.

One woman died because of a cocaine overdose.

Another woman died after taking methadone. Methadone is a powerful
opiate, according to Jenkinson.

One person died of an overdose of an antidepressant, while another
died after taking valium and alcohol together, Jenkinson said.

Several people died after mixing drugs, one person died after taking
cocaine and drinking alcohol, and another died of an oxycodone overdose.

The coroner's reports for 2005 also show one man who died on New
Year's Eve of 2004 after taking oxycodone. Oxycodone is a painkiller
that is sold under the trade name OxyContin, and is also used in other
medications.

Using cocaine and drinking alcohol is especially dangerous, Jenkinson
said. The two can interact and create a metabolite of cocaine that is
toxic to the heart, he said.

When people mix drugs, often both legal and illegal, the reactions can
be unpredictable, Jenkinson said. Often, if the person had just taken
one of the drugs, that drug by itself might not have been fatal.

"But the combination of those was deadly," he added.

Individuals in the county who die from drug overdoses come from all
age groups an d from all over the county, according to the reports for
2005. The only common factor between them is that they died because
they used drugs.

"Alcohol continues to be a drug that is certainly used and sometimes
causes death," Jenkinson noted. Last year, one Jackson County resident
died in Athens because of drinking too much alcohol. Other people have
died after being intoxicated and then injuring themselves by getting
into a car and driving, falling off of a balcony or putting themselves
at risk in other ways, according to Jenkinson.

Whether or not people die from alcohol poisoning can depend on how
rapidly they ingest the alcohol, how big they are, how rapidly their
livers can metabolize the alcohol, if the people are moving around or
sitting still, if they have other health problems, and other factors,
Jenkinson said.

OXYCONTIN SEEMS TO be one of the most often misused drugs in the
county, and one of the biggest causes of drug overdoses, according to
Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren.

In almost every drug overdose case that involves his office, OxyContin
plays a role in the death, Warren said.

"You'll almost always find OxyContin there," Warren said, adding that
it is often used with other drugs. OxyContin is a prescription drug,
and it can be fairly easy for some people to get it for severe pain
relief, according to Warren.

"It seems to be the drug of choice," he said. Many people will "doctor
shop," which means they travel to various hospitals and health-care
centers in the area complaining of pain, hoping to get OxyContin
prescribed to them. Medical centers in Ohio are now doing a better job
of tracking patient records, making it tougher to "doctor shop," he
added.

With OxyContin, the users often do not take the pain medications as
prescribed; instead they grind the pills into powder and then either
inhale the medicine or inject it into themselves, Warren said.

"They weren't just popping the pills; they were shooting it up," he
said. Shooting up the medication or inhaling it gets the medication
into the bloodstream quickly and can affect the body suddenly, Warren
said. It can also kill people who do this, he added

Warren's office sometimes gets involved in drug overdose cases, filing
charges against other people involved in the deaths.

In October 2004, for example, an Athens County man overdosed on drugs
while with other people, Warren recalled. The friends at first thought
the man was asleep, but later found out that he was having problems
because of the drugs. The man was taken to the hospital, and died
there a few days later.

The Athens County Prosecutor's Office investigated the death and wound
up charging and convicting one of the people involved in the man's
deaths. Today, Bernard Martin, 44, of Nelsonville, is serving 17
months in prison for supplying the pills to the man who died,
according to Warren.

Warren said he sees drug overdose cases involving Ohio University
students and people of all ages living in the community.

OxyContin has been a problem in the community for several years, and
continues to be, Warren said. His office also sees many cases
involving cocaine, marijuana and other drugs. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake