Murrieta residents, school officials learn dangers of prescription drugs

Murrieta Rotary members, along with school and city officials, health care providers and community members learned Monday that “cocktailing” at parties isn’t quite what they thought it was.

“You have a couple of mixers; a pain reliever, Valium and OxyContin. These are the cocktails of illegal pharmaceuticals abused by 18-to-27-year-olds,” said Robert Harkins, special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Riverside district office.

Working with several local law enforcement agencies, including Murrieta Police Department, Haskins is the only agent assigned to the area’s Diversion Group, comprised of criminal and regulatory groups enforcing federal laws. Haskins also covers the San Bernardino and Orange County area.

“It’s definitely an overwhelming task,” he said. “Pain killers today are so powerful. It’s a problem we’re dealing with head on.”

Since 2005, he said, there has been a dramatic increase in the abuse of pain medications.

“D.E.A. is overwhelmed with pill cases,” he said.

Soma and OxyContin are now among the most widely abused pharmaceutical drugs in the Southwest Riverside area, Harkins said.

Vicodin, Xanax or any other form of Valium, and a Soma, is the typical cocktail of prescription drugs we see on the streets, he said.

“Those are the red flags and signs we look for when dealing with prescription drug abuse,” Harkins said. “You’re going to have an addict when there’s a combination of all of these.”

Originally intended for cancer patients, OxyContin became a trend in the late 90’s and the misuse of these drugs are rising at an alarming rate, especially among those between the ages of 18-27, he said

“It’s so popular with them that they don’t realize the full extent of the addictive nature it can have,” he said.

Harkins held a lecture for students at Murrieta Valley High School last school year in response to the pharmaceutical trend.

He said about 30 to 40 percent of the students acknowledged the growing trend and knows someone who is abusing prescription pharmaceuticals.

“The numbers aren’t alarming because these are things that can be found in everyday households,” he said. “They’re easily accessible, cheap and literally within reach.”

An 80-milligram pill of OxcyContin runs about $20-$25 on the streets, with Xanax and other Valium pills going for about $3-$8. Soma’s can be bartered for a mere $3, the perfect dollar amount to target high school and college students, Haskins said.

In 2007, a psychiatrist from Murrieta was arrested for illegally prescribing pharmaceuticals and another doctor from Lake Elsinore was arrested in 2008 under the same conditions.

“It’s all word of mouth,” Haskins said about obtaining illegal prescriptions. “It all trickles down to knowing someone and the worst part is that these types of doctors are setting people up to become addicts. They’re not practicing like they should. These are who we’re looking for.”

Harkins said his main concern is to make sure that moms and dads are aware of how easy it is to abuse prescription drugs.

“I’m really trying to get the word out.”

Rotary member Don Phinney was very concerned about the new drug trend, especially due to having a high school-aged son that falls under the targeted youth Haskins explained.

“I didn’t realize these were such a big deal,” said Phinney about the pharmaceuticals. Heroin, cocaine, those I knew we had to watch for, but now I’m going to be a lot more aware of the pharmaceuticals.”

Phinney has a 17-year-old son involved in motocross racing and said it’s not an uncommon thing for his son to get banged up and receive pain relievers from doctors.

“Sure they give them to him, but I’ve always been good at counting the pills,” he said. “It’s just always been a habit.”

Phinney said his son was recently prescribed OxyContin to relieve pain in his spine caused by what was first thought to be Meningitis. After a few hour of tests, diagnosed him with Swine Flu, he said.

“He couldn’t move,” he said. “They thought it was Meningitis but then 5 hours later, after tests, they diagnosed him Swine Flu. The first day is supposed to be one of the most painful days, and that’s exactly what was happening.”

“You think parents keep track of this stuff,” he said. “But then we start getting a rundown of all drugs like these being abused. It’s just mind-blowing to know it’s happening.”

Yazmin Alvarez can be reached at yazmin.alvarez@swrnn.com.

Tags: Drug Enforcement Administration, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, murrieta rotary, murrieta valley high school, SWRNN, Yazmin Alvarez

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