Staten Island is seeing a growing trend of prescription drug abuse, as evidenced by the arrests last week of 23 people involved in an illegal prescription drug distribution ring. Most of those arrested were in their mid-20s and together they forged over 108 prescriptions.

"...over the past few years, autopsy results have linked several notable deaths on Staten Island to prescription drug abuse...' This is serious stuff. Kids figure "I'm not shooting heroin, I'm not snorting cocaine, I'm not smoking crack... This must be safe because an American pharmaceutical company made this,"' [District Attorney Daniel] Donovan says."

Teens have been known to pillage unlocked cars, looking for valuables to sell in exchange for prescription drugs. But most (34 percent and 31 percent respectively) get them from their own home or from friends or classmates. Source: Staten Island Advance

Labels: prescription_drugs, criminal_activity

Posted By: Aspen Education Group