More people died from overdoses of prescription drugs than illicit street drugs on the Treasure Coast last year, with a spike in deaths from the controversial pain medication oxycodone, according to figures provided in the annual report from Florida's Medical Examiners Commission. But so far this year, the number of methadone-related deaths are on the rise, said Dr. Roger Mittleman, medical examiner for the district that includes Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Deadliest drugs Deaths directly attributed to drug overdoses rose slightly in 2006 from the year before in the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee County. Here are the leading causes of drug-related deaths: [continues 303 words]
FORT PIERCE - A state prison officer is charged with planning to smuggle drugs into Martin Correctional Institution north of Indiantown in exchange for payments from inmates, according to arrest records released Tuesday. Ted Linden Vetovitz, 42, of Okeechobee was arrested Monday when he met with an undercover Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent who was supposed to pay him $2,000 to deliver 2 ounces of cocaine and 4 ounces of marijuana to an unnamed inmate at MCI. Vetovitz was held at the St. Lucie County jail Tuesday on $170,000 bail on charges of official misconduct, trafficking in cocaine and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. [continues 151 words]
Port St. Lucie Is "Florida's Safest City" No More After a seven-year stretch with the lowest crime rate among populations higher than 75,000, Port St. Lucie fell to second best Tuesday, according to 2005 crime statistics compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Coral Springs in Broward County took the honor by dropping its crime rate by 17 percent last year to make it even better than Port St. Lucie's total with a 10 percent drop. [continues 424 words]
The idea that parents play an important role in influencing their children's attitudes toward drug use has been the focus of Chudley Werch's research for some years. Last month, a substance abuse prevention program that the University of North Florida professor co-developed 12 years ago with Michael Young of the University of Arkansas received national honors. The program, Keep a Clear Mind, has been shown to increase communication between parents and children and give both groups a more realistic view of the consequences of drug use. [continues 248 words]
