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Alleged Drug Abuse By DEA Officer

18.05.12

A  story out of Maine  points out a real problem in law enforcement – our reliance on the good character of our police officers and what can happen when their reputation is besmirched.

The facts of the case are that a Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) Officer was charged with abusing drugs. (Side note: MDEA is also the abbreviation for an illegal hallucinogen with the street name “Eve.”) The officer, Kirk Guerrette is alleged to have taken a three month supply (360)  Ambien  in less than two weeks as well as trying to pass bogus prescriptions to get more drugs.

Since one of the  side effects of Ambien  is memory loss, and since the alleged drug abuse wasn’t mentioned when Officer Guerrette obtained a warrant in a recent case, the question is whether his affidavit should hold up in court. The larger question is how reliable can testimony be when the arresting officer is found to be a substance abuser?

In this case, there are 44 other matters in which this officer was the lead investigator – should all those be reexamined or retried? One affidavit filed against the officer claims, “His friendship and badge of authority allowed him to bypass normal channels of the pharmacy. During 2008 alone he acquired over 2,500 pills in a 90-day period.”

Source: Opposing Views

Ambien Addiction: What You Should Know

18.05.12

The Food and Drug Administration currently lists Ambien as a Schedule IV drug, meaning it is considered to have a relatively low potential for abuse. Ambien shares space on this list with  benzodiazepines . Ambien has several characteristics that make it an attractive choice for the treatment of insomnia and some risks.

Advantages of Ambien

Ambien has a quick onset – about 15 minutes – and leaves the body after about 8 hours. The effects generally start falling away as soon as 3 hours with a normal dose. This means patients can use the drug to fall asleep, but probably won’t have any after-effects the next morning.

Ambien also has very few drug interactions of note. The major interaction is with other central nervous system depressants and especially  alcohol . It can also be used in the elderly at a lowered dose.

Disadvantages

Doctors may overprescribe, and patients may overuse which may cause ambien addiction. It is such an easy and quick solution for insomnia that proper sleep studies or examinations for deeper problems may never be done. The drug has been and continues to be prescribed for much longer than the short-term recommended by the manufacturer.

Source: Opposing Views