Prescription drug abuse rises as law enforcement continue to fight

Prescription drug abuse -- it's a grave problem that law enforcement in Lee County says currently there's no solution.

Within the past two years, in Lee County alone, law enforcement said pain killers have played a role in eleven deaths.

The most recent death was 34-year-old Jerry Nunnery, who died a month ago. His younger sister described Jerry as her best friend.

"It was kind of like we were twins," said Lisa Nunnery. "My phone does not ring anymore, no more calling, no more texting, there is no more touching, holding."

Lisa knows the problem of addiction first hand. She once was a pill abuser herself and says she's stared death in the face at least three times.

"I have stopped breathing. I've laid in my own, where I took so much it made me sick," said Lisa.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office says their number one problem is prescription pills and many don't realize that prescriptions are no joke.

"Prescription pills are just as bad or worse than crack cocaine and heroine," said the Sheriff's Narcotics Captain John Holly.

Law enforcement agencies say pills are a problem that strikes all walks of life, from teens to even adults in their 50's and 60's. Some of the recent arrests include a former teacher and a restaurant owner.

"Society has not really decided that it's a terrible, terrible thing yet...and I don't think they understand the gravity of the problem," says Holly.

Looking at statewide statistics, year after year, after year, the number of pain killers, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants prescribed have increased. In just three years, 115,000 more people have been prescribed pain killers, that's nearly 103 million more doses.

Figure 1:
               2008                2009                2010               
People    4,873,883        4,937,846        4,988,437        
Doses     654,682,964    702,841,288    757,541,427   

Tommy Bridges, owner of Cameron Funeral Home in Sanford, conducted funeral services for 21-year-old Jacob Pilson, whose cause of death was related to pain killers. He says this is not the kind of business he likes to get.

"We've just seen such an increase in the number of people dying from this. The sad thing about it, it just seems like it's so hopeless that there is nothing that can be done or is being done about it," said Bridges.

But narcotics agents say they are trying to do something about it. The Lee County Sheriff's Office has partnered up with the Sanford Police Department to fight the problem, but narcotics captains at both departments say although they continue to fight, the streets are not getting cleaner.

"It is an endless supply of drugs basically. You know in the old days, people had to go to South America for cocaine and some of the other drugs, here you go to your local pharmacy and get them," said Sanford Police Narcotics Captain Dan Kehagias.

Also in the past three years, the North Carolina Medical Board has taken action on more doctors each year for writing bad prescriptions. In 2008, they took action against 33 doctors. That number rose to 68 in 2010. Punishment ranges from doctors being reprimanded, put on probation, or having their license taken away. Since 2008, 140 doctors have been punished by the board for writing bad prescriptions, but only 34 doctors have, at least, gotten their license temporarily taken away.

Captain Holly says Lee County has seen an increase of more doctors writing questionable prescriptions, but the lack of authority means they usually run into road blocks during the investigation.

North Carolina has a Controlled Substance Reporting System, that's where pharmacies are required to report all outpatient controlled substance prescriptions. But by state law, local deputies and police cannot access it.

"I really don't think you are going to see any kind of relief from this problem until the General Assembly gets involved," said Holly.

Captain Kehagias adds, "I think until the court system sees it as a severe problem, as we do, I don't think it is going to improve."

Kehagias says trafficking cases carry a mandatory prison sentence, but with plea bargains, drug traffickers are not being put behind bars.

The Nunnery family is hoping to find more answers about Jerry's death when they get his autopsy report.

Some lawmakers tried to give local law enforcement agencies the ability to access the controlled substance reporting system, however the bill had not passed the June 10, 2011, session.

Treatment for prescription abuse can be expensive and there are a lot of helpful resources available if you feel you or someone you know has a drug abuse problem.

Lighthouse Ministry is a free recovery program in Sanford. For more information call Steve Horne at (919) 478-6237. 

You can contact a local management entity with your county. Some people can get state funding and no state provider can deny service if you can't pay. For a county by county listing of LME's, click here.

You can also contact the Alcohol and Drug Counsel of North Carolina at (800) 688-4232, or the State Advocacy and Customer Service for Substance Abuse at (919) 715-3197.