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DEA New Jersey Division Hosts First State-Wide SEP 13 -- (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) Gerard P. McAleer, Special Agent in Charge, of the Drug Enforcement Administration New Jersey Division commended over 140 sworn law enforcement personnel for completing the Three Day Pharmaceutical Diversion Investigative Training course held at Rutgers University this week. This training was designed to provide New Jersey’s law enforcement community with the ability to combat the ever growing pharmaceutical drug abuse problem at the state and local levels…In his remarks McAleer stated that pharmaceutical drugs have been a great benefit to society when properly prescribed by legitimate medical doctors and taken in accordance with the prescribed guidelines. However, the abuse of controlled prescription drugs is a significant problem in the United States. According to a July, 2005 report from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, the number of Americans who abuse prescription drugs nearly doubled from 1992 to 2003 and abuse among teens more than tripled during that same time period. Americans abusing controlled prescription drugs exceed the number abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and inhalants, combined. According to ONDCP, nearly 60% of the non-medical prescription drug users say that they first received the prescription drug from family members or friends. McAleer urged the participants to protect their own families by limiting access to prescription drugs in their homes. He recommended that legitimately prescribed drugs be removed from bathroom medicine cabinets and securely stored in a locked cabinet or home safe. McAleer stated “DEA and our law enforcement partners have gone on the offensive against the diversion and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs. This training, the first of its kind in New Jersey, gives our law enforcement officers one more tool to combat this growing problem that is endangering our communities.” |
