Pubdate: Sun, 22 Mar 2009
Source: Hendersonville Times-News (NC)
Copyright: 2009 Hendersonville Newspaper Corporation
Contact:  http://www.blueridgenow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/793
Author: John Harbin

COUNTY SEES DROP IN SUSPICIOUS OVERDOSES

Stiffer penalties for drug dealers who sell to individuals who die 
from an overdose have created a significant drop in suspicious drug 
overdoses, according to the Henderson County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Rick Davis said Friday that suspicious drug overdoses have 
gone down dramatically since two men were recently charged with 
second-degree murder after dealing drugs that caused fatal overdoses.

One of those men, James Arnold, pleaded guilty earlier this week to 
the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, among other drug 
charges, and is awaiting to be sentenced.

The second man, Nikolas Flores, has been charged with the 
second-degree murder of Christopher Waters and is still awaiting 
trial. "Since the last second-degree murder charge was issued for 
this type of crime, there have been no suspicious drug overdoses," 
Davis said. In 2008, Davis' office investigated 14 suspicious drug 
overdoses that had signs a drug dealer was involved.

"In the six months since Mr. Flores was charged, we have had no case 
of overdoses that appear to be from drug dealers selling drugs to 
someone who later overdosed," Davis said.

While these numbers are down, Davis said there are still drug 
overdoses in the county.

"There will be people who self-abuse drugs they have been prescribed 
and subsequently overdose," he said. "The word is out that we will 
prosecute for a homicide when we can. It seems, so far, to have been 
effective to go this route." Davis said that although Arnold pleaded 
to a lesser charge, the involuntary manslaughter charge carries a 
stiffer penalty than a drug charge. Some people think charging a drug 
dealer with murder may be too harsh and that the buyer knows what 
they are getting into, but the sheriff said family members disagree.

"Anyone who would say that it's too harsh may feel differently if it 
was a close relative of theirs who died as a result of the drugs they 
were sold," he said. "I have received many e-mails from these 
families that are heart breaking." Davis said the step up in charges 
came about because conventional methods of charging drug dealers were 
not working. The sheriff came to the decision to seek harsher 
penalties after attending a Drug Enforcement Administration meeting 
in Asheville.

"During the meeting, agents were saying that the trend appeared to 
look like prescription drugs would out-pace other drugs such as 
methamphetamine and cocaine in use in just a few years," he said. 
"There is federal legislation to put stricter policies on 
prescription drug distribution, but that can take a long time. We had 
to do something locally." Davis said when he came back to Henderson 
County after the DEA meeting, he met with his detectives, who echoed 
that belief -- prescription drug overdoses are skyrocketing.

"We needed to look at charging these drug dealers with harsher 
charges," he said. Davis said the increase also had to do with 
methamphetamine and drugs in that category becoming harder to get due 
to the work of local law enforcement.

"It's a case of availability," he said. "In this case we have had 
success in getting meth and other drugs off the streets, and now 
dealers are turning to prescription drugs." Davis said a key in 
keeping prescription drugs away from teens, who seem to be the 
primary users, is for anyone prescribed narcotics to keep them under 
lock and key.

"Those who are prescribed the drugs also need to remember to only 
take the drugs as specifically prescribed," he said. "If someone 
finds themselves abusing their own prescriptions, they need to seek 
help immediately from their doctor." Davis also said that if anyone 
suspects their prescription drugs are being stolen, they should 
report it to the authorities immediately. "Never share prescription 
drugs," he advised.

Another proactive method Davis' office has taken is talking to 
school-age kids about the risks of overdosing on drugs.

"Parents should be the first step in talking to their children about 
drugs, but they can call on us if they need help," Davis said. "The 
Internet is also a great source for parents to research prescription drugs."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom