General News

2009-11-25T16:40:00.002-06:00

WLKY Investigates: Why Kentucky Ranks No. 1 In Drug Abuse
Commonwealth Leads Nation In Prescription Drug Abuse
By Steve Burgin/WLKY

LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- Kentuckyhas received a No. 1 ranking, but it's a dubious honor.
The Commonwealth leads the nation in prescription drug use for non-medical purposes.

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Last week, an investigation into interstate pill smuggling led to hundreds of arrests in Kentucky.
Prescription drug abuse leads to crime. Just ask Pat Fogarty. “It's been about a 10-year battle for me,” said Fogarty, a recovering drug abuser.

A judge ordered Fogarty to get help at Louisville’s Healing Place. Fogarty has spent time in jail for theft and other crimes related to his prescription drug abuse. “I've stolen from my mom numerous times. She'd think I got sober, let me back in her life and I'd keep doing it. It didn't matter. I did whatever it took to get money,” explained Fogarty.

Fogarty said he’s been clean for a year. He explained the various ways prescription drugs are readily available. He said some abusers doctor shop, or go from physician to physician to get painkillers. Others, he said, buy them on the streets. The figures for Kentuckyback up his claim.

“Thirty-two counties all across the state saw a 20 percent increase in the amount of drugs prescribed,” said Van Ingram from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.

The counties with the highest increase in prescription drugs from 2005 to 2007 were Carroll County, with nearly 42 percent, and Hancock County, with just over 54 percent. Jefferson County jumped 18.5 percent during that time.

Arrests more than doubled during that time period. Metro police make prescription drug busts on a weekly basis. People call in phony prescriptions, steal prescription blanks, or change ones they get from doctors.

Last month, Martha Rowland was given a two-year prison sentence on a 2008 prescription drug case. Six weeks before her sentencing, she was arrested again on prescription fraud charges.
Prescription drugs are also the chief reason unintentional overdose deaths doubled over a five-year period in Kentucky.

“You know, we had 485 overdose deaths in Kentuckyin 2008,” said Ingram. Some of them were young people who got the drugs at home. “People really need to be aware that their prescriptions can be pilfered in their own home,” said pharmacist Art Jacob.

That's why authorities say drug toss events like one held in October are important.
“No. 1, just remove the access and ability for them to be diverted to the illegal market,” said Louisville Metro Police Department Sgt. John McGuire.

Fogarty said because the addiction is strong, so is the drive to feed the habit. “Addicted for a decade and I'm pretty strong-willed person. I consider myself pretty strong-willed. The drive took over. It became my god,” said Fogarty. Fogarty is now trying to help others kick their habit.

The First Line Of Defense

Kentucky has a state of the art system for tracking prescription drugs, especially controlled substances. Last week, law enforcement authorities fanned out across eastern Kentucky searching for hundreds of people in a major investigation into interstate pill smuggling.

State police said many illegally obtained prescription drugs are coming from Florida.
It's just one pipeline to the Commonwealth authorities are trying to plug.

“These pain killers are very powerful,” said Ingram. “It's not a drug like crack cocaine you can get on a street corner. But, you get to know certain people and network,” said Fogarty.
The addicts and suppliers come from all walks of life. Laura Ford is a nurse practitioner. Last month she was arrested on charges she forged prescriptions. Police said she was attempting to get Lortab.

Most young people, who died from drug overdoses in Kentuckylast year did so with prescription drugs. That's why its important to keep track of what you have in the medicine cabinet.
Hydrocodone drugs like Lortab, Lorcet, and Vicodin made up 46 percent of all controlled substances prescribed in Kentuckyin the second quarter of this year. Oxycodone drugs made up 16 percent.

“The only thing a doctor is, is a licensed drug dealer as simple as that and that has to be stopped,” said family practitioner Dr. Praveen Arla. Arla said all physicians should be using KASPER, the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Reporting System. All pharmacies in the state input information in the system.

“In a matter of minutes we can get a report on KASPER on a patient we suspect has been using drugs,” said Jacob. “Out of 14,000 prescribers in Kentucky, only 26 percent of them have KASPER accounts to even access the data,” said Ingram.

Ingram said with KASPER, physicians can easily tell if their patients have been doctor shopping.
Guidelines won't let police get on KASPER unless they have an active investigation.

Arla and his son, a physician, are teaming up with Bullitt County authorities to help, especially when it comes to youngsters. “Right now as you look everyone is working as individuals and not together. I think the concept of the doctor and sheriff is really to get inside and help each other,” said Arla.

Wacky Picture News Flash

2009-03-13T16:14:00.001-05:00

ODCdrugfree is running another contest! It’s called the “Wacky Picture of the Week” contest! During the month of March, just wear your bracelet and make your picture in any “Wacky” location. Email your entry to:
contest@communitysolutionsky.org. All qualified submitted pictures will be published on our website.
Each week, our panel of judges will review all of the submitted pictures and select the “Wacky Picture of the Week!” The winner for each week will receive a
2G video MP3 player. Each person who enters this contest will be entered in a drawing for Special Edition Rock Band.

You may enter more than once, but please limit your entries to one per week! And, remember to stay safe when you make your picture. Any picture where your safety appears to have been compromised will be immediately disqualified.

And, remember to keep wearing your bracelet…Secret Spotters are still looking!

Drinking Increases Cancer Risk in Middle Aged Women

2009-03-04T11:50:00.001-06:00

By HealthDay News

TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) - Research involving more than a million middle-age women finds that even moderate drinking raises risks for breast, liver and other cancers.

"Even relatively low levels of drinking -- on the order of one alcoholic drink per day -- increase a woman's risk of developing cancer," said lead researcher Naomi Allen, from the cancer epidemiology unit at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. "Because a high proportion of women drink low amounts of alcohol regularly and because most of the increased risk is for breast cancer, the risk among women associated with drinking alcohol is of particular importance."

In fact, the study found that moderate drinking accounts for 13 percent of breast, liver, rectum and upper respiratory/digestive tract cancers among women.

The association between moderate alcohol intake and breast cancer in women is well-known, the researchers point out. What's new here, they say, is the finding that even low levels of drinking can raise a woman's risk of developing cancer of the liver and rectum. For women who smoke, cancers of the mouth and throat were also linked to high alcohol consumption.

The report is published in the Feb. 24 online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

For the study, Allen's team collected data on more than 1.2 million middle-age British women participating in the Million Women Study. The researchers used the National Health Service Central Registries to identify cancer cases among these women.

Most women in the study had about a drink a day, and a smaller percentage had three or more drinks a day, the researchers found. Over more than seven years of follow-up, 68,775 women developed cancer.

"These findings are robust, and alcohol consumption was assessed several times before women were diagnosed with cancer, making these estimates reliable," Allen said.

Overall, the risk of cancer increased as alcohol consumption increased. The type of alcohol consumed appeared to make no difference.

Women who drank and also smoked faced increased risk of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and larynx (voice box), the researchers found.

The study suggests "that in developed countries, where women typically consume low-moderate amounts of alcohol, we estimate that for every additional drink regularly consumed each day, there would be about 15 extra cases of cancers of the breast, liver, rectum and mouth and throat diagnosed for every 1,000 women up to the age of 75," Allen said. "Most of this excess risk is due to breast cancer."

Susan M. Gapstur, vice president of epidemiology at the American Cancer Society, said the findings confirm and expand on those from previous studies in men and in smaller cohorts of women.

But several questions remain unanswered, she said. "For example, researchers remain concerned about the pattern of consumption," Gapstur said. "It is unclear, for example, whether someone who drinks several glasses of wine on one day during the week has the same risk as someone who drinks one glass of wine per day with a meal. In addition, the effects of quitting or reducing drinking on cancer risk are also unclear."

The American Cancer Society currently recommends limiting intake to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men, Gapstur said.

On the other hand, numerous studies have suggested that alcohol, especially red wine, might help deter heart disease -- complicating decisions around drinking and health.

"If you do not drink, there is no reason to start drinking," Gapstur reasoned. "However, in light of the findings from the Million Women Study, women who are concerned about their cancer risk versus their risk of cardiovascular disease might want to discuss the potential risks and benefits of even low alcohol intake with their health-care providers."

In an accompanying journal editorial, Dr. Michael Lauer, director of the Division of Prevention and Population Sciences at the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said he believes the risk for cancer might outweigh any perceived benefit in terms of heart disease.

"People who are not drinkers should not start drinking to prevent heart disease, and even people who are drinking should discuss this with their physicians," he said. "And as part of that conversation, they should consider other conditions than heart disease. We cannot just focus on heart disease."

Kids Who Wear Beer Gear Drink More, Study Says

2009-03-03T12:21:00.000-06:00

Binge drinking and alcohol consumption in general is higher among adolescents who own alcohol-related t-shirts, hats and other marketing items, according to researchers at Dartmouth College.

HealthDay News reported March 2 that a survey of about 6,500 youths ages 10 to 14 found that up to one in five said they wore or owned alcohol-branded merchandise, such as clothing (64 percent), hats (24 percent) and items such as jewelry, shot glasses, and posters.

Most of the items promoted beer, and 45 percent of these promoted Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser brand. Three-quarters of the youths said that friends or family had bought the merchandise, but one in four said they had purchased the items themselves.

Lead researcher Auden C. McClure said the researchers found that owning such merchandise was an accurate risk predictor for underage alcohol use and binge drinking, as well as susceptibility for drinking initiation. "You can't say any longer that these items are just a marker of kids who drink," she said, adding: "It really underscores the importance for policies that restrict the scope of this marketing, so that these products aren't reaching teens and influencing drinking behaviors."

David H. Jernigan, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the findings show that industry self-regulation doesn't work. "There should be pressure put on these [alcohol] companies," Jernigan said. "If you are producing stuff, so much of which ends up in the bodies of an audience that's not the target of your marketing, I hope you would think twice."

Carol Clark, a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch, said the company directs its marketing at adults only. "Our promotional clothing and merchandise are intended for adults, come in adult sizes and are placed in adult sections of stores," she said. "When it comes to preventing underage drinking, we should focus on restricting youth access, not censoring advertising and marketing."

The study appeared in the March 2009 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Northwest Neighbors Fight Drug Abuse

2008-12-19T13:53:00.005-06:00

Several neighbors in Owensboro's Northwest side have been placing their signs along with ours to get out the message that drugs have no place in their neighborhood. If you would like to join the effort to make Owensboro-Daviess County a substance-abuse free community please call or email and we will deliver and place one of our signs in your yard.

Wristband WINNERS !!!

2008-12-15T15:24:00.012-06:00

NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!

New wristbands to help everyone remember the address and to go to ODCdrugfree.org are being distributed through all of the local schools. Wear these wristbands EVERYWHERE you go.......if you are spotted by a SECRET SPOTTER, you will receive a VIP Movie pass to the Malco Theatre! But remember, you have to be spotted to get your pass! (Stay tuned for other contests coming in January!)

Here are the names of people who have already been spotted. Congratulations to:

Week of February 2:

Lucia S. 11th grade Owensboro High School
Samantha T. 12th grade Owensboro High School
Dane J. 12th grade Owensboro High School
Ashley T. 11th grade Owensboro High School
Jalisa R. 9th grade Owensboro High School
James E. 8th grade Owensboro Middle School
Chase L. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Whitney G. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Josh H. 8th grade Owensboro Middle School
Meera P. 8th grade Owensboro Middle School
Luke C. 9th grade Daviess County High School
Logan C. 11th grade Daviess County High School
William S. 10th grade Daviess County High School
Landon C. 8th grade College View Middle School
Coby S. 3rd grade Highland Elementary School

Week of February 9:

Brittany M. 3rd grade Tamarack Elementary School
LeeAnn M. employee GNC
Amy M. employee US Bank
Carla Y. employee GNC
Kealey C. pre-school St. Pius PreSchool
Lexie N. 3rd grade Highland Elementary School
Taylor S. Kindergarden Highland Elementary Schoo
Kyle S.
Lori R. Teacher College View Middle School
Russ R. 8th grade College View Middle School
Eugene P. 5th grade 5-6 Center
Jontaya B. 6th grade 5-6 Center
Robert M. 6th grade 5-6 Center
Timber W. 6th grade 5-6 Center
Eli W. 5th grade 5-6 Center
Dusty J. Pre-School
Kaitelynn B. 2nd grade Meadowlands Elementary School
Wesley B. 9th grade Henderson County High School
Cody B. 9th grade
Ben W. employee TTMA

Week of January 26:

Abby H. 8th grade Owensboro Catholic Middle School
Chelsey H. 2nd grade Owensboro Catholic K-3 Campus
Maggie H. 2nd grade Owensboro Catholic K-3 Campus
Alex H. 6th grade Owensboro Catholic 4-6 Campus
Zeke E. 4th grade Newton Parrish Elementary School
Logan P. 4th grade Newton Parrish Elementary School
Isaac A. 4th grade Newton Parrish Elementary School
Alyssa S. 3rd grade Newton Parrish Elementary School
Alana S. 3rd grade Newton Parrish Elementary School
Jaden E. 3rd grade Newton Parrish Elementary School
Tesia C. 10th grade Hancock County High School
Tabitha S. 10th grade Hancock County High School
Blake H. 10th grade Apollo High School
Austin B. 8th grade Owensboro Middle School
Janel T. 8th grade Owensboro Middle School

Week of January 12:

Carmen C. 4th grade Cravens Elementary School
Brianna G. 4th grade Cravens Elementary School
Sydney S. 5th grade Deer Park Elementary School
Mollie L. 4th grade Deer Park Elementary School
Keasa P. 4th grade Cravens Elementary School
Caleb T. 10th grade Daviess County High School
Muhan N. 4th grade Cravens Elementary School
Colten H. 3rd grade Highland Elementary School
Dakota R. 2nd grade Cravens Elementary School
Sarah W. Adult Owensboro Police Department

Week of January 5:

Caitlyn H. 10th grade Owensboro Catholic High School
Julianna A. 10th grade Owensboro Catholic High School
Nicholas K. 9th grade Owensboro Catholic High School
Sam R. 9th grade Owensboro Catholic High School
Jim Ivey Faculty Owensboro Catholic High School
Alicia W. 3rd grade Cravens Elementary School
Raphael F. 1st grade Cravens Elementary School
Ethan B. 3rd grade Cravens Elementary School
Carman C. 4th grade Cravens Elementary School
Z'naja T. 2nd grade Cravens Elementary School
Amber R. 4th grade West Louisville Elementary School
Kenley R. 5th grade Majesty Academy
Aaron C. 3rd grade West Louisville Elementary School
Emma C. 6th grade Owensboro Catholic Middle School
Colton I. 7th grade College View Middle School

Winners through December 29 are:

Max H. 9th grade Daviess County High School
Barron M. unemployed
Aaron M. 10th grade Apollo High School
Melissa C. Adult RiverValley Behavioral Health
Jared T. 5th grade Tamarack Elementary School
Savannah B 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Rachael K. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Don E. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Brittany S. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Brandon A. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Hannah B. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Cheyenne A. 9th grade Owensboro High School
Jacob H. 12th grade Owensboro High School
Timothy P. 12th grade Owensboro High School
Dylan M. 9th grade Owensboro High School
Stephanie W. 10th grade Owensboro High School
Samantha A. 7th grade College View Middle School
Alberto D. 9th grade Daviess County High School
Nathan J. 5th grade East View Elementary School
Alyssa V. 8th grade Daviess County Middle School
Trent T. 12th grade Apollo High School
Melissa S. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Quincy R. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Seth E. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Delaney S. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
Chandler J. 6th grade Burns Middle School
Christian J. 2nd grade Sorgho Elementary School
Kailee J. Kindergarten Sorgho Elementary School
Jake W. 10th grade Owensboro High School
Josh W. 7th grade Owensboro Middle School
McKenzie B. 2nd grade West Louisville Elementary School
Dalton M. 1st grade West Louisville Elementary School
Katelyn W. 2nd grade West Louisville Elementary School
Emily K. 5th grade West Louisville Elementary School
Abbie T. 4th grade West Louisville Elementary School

Winners for the week of December 19 are:

Name grade School or Employment
Courtney C. 6th grade Daviess County Middle School
Breeanna G. 10th grade Daviess County High School
Michelle J. 12th grade Owensboro High School
Christina H. 10th grade Daviess County High School
Kelsey C. 11th grade Apollo High School
Steffan C. 10th grade Owensboro High School
Blake C. 8th grade Daviess County Middle School
Terry D. Adult
Nick D. 11th grade Daviess County High School
Brittney W. 11th grade Owensboro High School
Avery G. 6th grade 5-6 Center
Ashlyn C. 7th grade College View Middle School
Logan A. 12th grade Daviess County High School
Alexandra F. 12th grade Daviess County High School
Barbara K. Adult Owensboro Police Department
Lyndsie K. Adult Harborside Health Care
Kyle B. Asst. Principal Owensboro Catholic Middle School
Nicole C. Adult Allen Wade State Farm Insurance
Cheryle B. Adult Physicians Affiliated Care
Samuel H. 8th grade Owensboro Catholic Middle School
Lorhn F. Adult Owensboro Police Department
Caitlin M. 10th grade Daviess County High School
Nolan R. 10th grade Daviess County High School
Avery K. 9th grade Daviess County High School

Winners for the week of December 12 are:

Joey D. 6th grade 5-6 Center
Lexie H. 6th grade College View Middle School
Jazmyn M. 5th grade 5-6 Center
Tiffany M. 4th grade Foust Elementary School
Chelsea M. 6th grade College View Middle School
Cecily G. 12th grade Daviess County High School
Courtney E. 11th grade Daviess County High School
Shanika N. 12th grade OHS
Telsa H. 9th grade OHS
Alicia V. 11th grade OHS
Brylee M. 2nd grade Whitesville Elementary School
Todd C. 5th grade 5-6 Center
Trendon B. 2nd grade Owensboro Catholic K-3 Campus
Morgan R. 5th grade Audubon Elementary School
Emily C. 4th grade Eastview Elementary School

Winners for the week of December 5 are:

Rudy H. 5th grade Audubon Elementary School
Cody B. 8th grade College View Middle School
Catherine H. 2nd grade West Louisville Elementary
Jaklyn H. 7th grade Burns Middle School
Elijah H. 1st grade Burns Elementary School
Mandy R. 7th grade Burns Middle School
Lexie H. 6th grade College View Middle School
Lesley H. 11th grade Daviess County High
Jordan R. 8th grade Burns Middle School
Nyrah C. 4th grade Audubon Elementary School
Christy M. 8th grade Burns Middle School
Merideth D. 8th grade Burns Middle School
Max H. 9th grade Daviess High School S Mandy R. 7th grade Burns Middle School
Charles F. 10th grade Daviess County High School
Kendra C. 8th grade Burns Middle School
Emily F. 5th grade Tamarack Elementary School
Kaitlyn F. 8th grade Daviess County Middle School

And, remember........keep wearing your wristband because you can be spotted more than once! If you haven't received your wristband at school, be sure to ask your teachers about it!

Jane Lambert, Executive Director
Community Solutions for Substance Abuse
1300 East Ninth Street
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270)852-6515
odcdrugfree.org