Cough Syrup Abuse

[Kirzania]

Apparently we're all addicted to cough syrup.

Jury selection begins today in the retrial of pharmacists John David Wiley III, 40, and Anthony Dwayne Essett, 38, co-owners of I-10 East Pharmaceutical Services; Otukayode Adeleke Otufale, 44, owner of Med Stop Pharmacy; Isaac Simeon Achobe, 50, owner of American Choice Pharmacy; and Chicha Kazembe Combs, 29, and Andre Dion Brown, 37, co-owners of Mason Road Pharmacy in Katy. [...]The six are charged in a 170-count indictment of illegally dispensing thousands of gallons of the cough syrup and thousands of tablets of hydrocodone, a synthetic narcotic used as a painkiller. They also are charged with conspiracy and money laundering.

Er, yeah. Right down the street from home. Good to know!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...1601248_pf.html

[pineda]

The figures from Peter's 2004 study top his 2003 study, which showed 25 percent of teenagers at six alternative schools in Harris County had used the drug at least once.

About 30 percent of the teenagers in the Houston area have used the syrup at least once, said Ron Peters.

Troy Jefferson, who heads a drug treatment center for children and adolescents at Riverside General Hospital in Houston said out of more than 5,000 teens treated at the clinic in the past seven years, as many as 35 percent had tried prescription cough syrup more than once.

Shouldn't it have said more correctly that OUT OF ALL THE KIDS WHO ARE IN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS, 25% admitted to trying syrup once? Or, OUT OF ALL THE TEENAGERS IN THE HOUSTON AREA, less than 2,000 of them (those that have been admitted to one particular treatment center in the last SEVEN YEARS) have tried the syrup?

[RedScare]

It looked like Kirzania's link was to the Washington Post. However, as a defense attorney, I can vouch in my own unscientific way to the drastic increase in syrup cases. A few years ago, I had never heard of it. Now, I get calls on it on a regular basis.

[MidtownCoog]

Clear Lake High School - circa 1987 - "Rhobin" on Robitussin.

BFD

On a related note, "rap" like this is for losers.

[dbigtex56]

I agree with pineda that Ron Peters's statistical methods seem questionable, and with Coog's observation that this is hardly 'breaking news'. Houston has been known for years as the capital of opiate-derivative cough syrup abuse.

What I don't understand is how the pharmacists have gotten away with it for so long. Does Texas have especially lax oversight? Seems like a very foolish risk for someone to devote years of study to becoming a pharmacist, and then distribute controlled drugs with abandon - unless the profit margin is very wide, and the chances of getting caught are very low, and the consequences not very severe.

[J.A.S.O.N.]

Very old news. In my high school prometh w/ codiene was used as habitually as marijuana in the mid to late 90's. It had EVERYTHING to do with the music that was coming out of Houston.

[pineda]

I also think it's kinda interesting that the Washington Post made a big deal out of this story, possibly as a slam to "Bush Country" Houston, Texas, which is fine because that's what I would EXPECT them to do. But, why did the Houston Chronicle pick up this story and run with it????? What are their motives?

[Kirzania]

But, why did the Houston Chronicle pick up this story and run with it????? What are their motives?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's not in the Chronicle. At least, not that I saw. I agree with you, pineda.. It just looks like an opportunity to slam Bush. Like when everyone was so willing to point out Bush's grades in college, but no one cared that Gore's grades were even worse.

Edit: Holy crap. Big brain-fart. Kerry's grades, not Gore's.

The whole thing struck me as strange because I never saw any of that in middle school or junior high. Then again, I was a Loser in junior high. Me and my Loser friends were older than the rest of our classmates and were more concerned with what rich guy we'd be marrying and where we would be honeymooning. Ah, those were the days.

------------

Last day Friday. Mentally absent since last Thursday.

[dbigtex56]

I also think it's kinda interesting that the Washington Post made a big deal out of this story, possibly as a slam to "Bush Country" Houston, Texas, which is fine because that's what I would EXPECT them to do. But, why did the Houston Chronicle pick up this story and run with it????? What are their motives?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Perhaps they're reporting on it because they're newspapers - and this is news.

From the Post article:

"The reputation is reflected in a trial that begins Tuesday of six pharmacists charged with illegally dispensing the highly addictive prescription cough syrup codeine with promethazine."

"The six are charged in a 170-count indictment of illegally dispensing thousands of gallons of the cough syrup and thousands of tablets of hydrocodone, a synthetic narcotic used as a painkiller. They also are charged with conspiracy and money laundering."

THOUSANDS of gallons! My gosh.

I see no dark plots behind reporting a major drug bust - especially when those involved are supposedly professionals, and a disturbing number of their customers are children.

Edit: So what do you think - is Bush behind this?

Edited August 17, 2005 by dbigtex56

[RedScare]

I'm with bigtex on this one. Sorry to disappoint you great left wing conspiracy buffs, but in my 18 years at the courthouse, 170 count indictments against 6 pharmacists is HUGE news. Maybe in your circle of friends it isn't, but in the rest of the world, it is. I am just pissed that none of them hired me.

[editor]

From February to July I was in and out of the hospital with some respiratory problems I may or may not have picked up from a monkey. One of the things I was on was that cough syrup. I helped me sleep, but did nothing for my cough. I ended up throwing two bottles in the trash.

One thing that might explain why it's so attractive to abuse is that it's C-H-E-A-P. With my insurance, I paid a little over $1 for each large bottle at Walgreens. I think without insurance it runs about $22/bottle.

[dbigtex56]

From February to July I was in and out of the hospital with some respiratory problems I may or may not have picked up from a monkey. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Were you a guest on "Sprockets"?

"Would you like to touch my monkey?"

[sevfiv]

[editor]

It didn't make my nipples hard like a little girl.

I can't speak for the monkey.