Addictions turn too many into criminals

Last Tuesday, two stories on the front page of the Daily Press may have again reminded readers of the opioid epidemic that's sweeping the country, and in particular some of the less affluent states. Oklahoma is among those.

As is often the case, the Cherokee Nation was proactive; Attorney General Todd Hembree filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of certain opioids, saying they could do more to help alleviate this problem. Congressman Markwayne Mullin followed a few months later by sponsoring a bill to make it easier to track those who are "doctor-shopping" so they can score a huge cache of the drugs.

But one aspect of the issue that isn't discussed quite so often is the criminal enterprises stemming from opioid abuse and other types of illicit substances. Two of these cases were detailed by the newspaper last week.

In one case, four adults and several juveniles were scooped up at a hotel Nov. 17. Deputies had been looking for a runaway teenager, and they found him, all right - along with the criminal enterprise with which he was at least peripherally involved. The deputies found several baggies of marijuana and $1,340 in cash, along with some cocaine and a few oxycodone pills. Most alarmingly, considering high-profile events as of late, they also turned up a 9mm pistol.

The other case involved a Welling man sentenced for using false prescriptions to get narcotics. Ian Bowline was handed a term of 16 months behind bars and ordered to pay $7,750 on several counts. Bowline had apparently been selling the fake prescriptions to others, who would turn them into pharmacies and score 90 to 120 pills a pop - and those were 30-milligram dosages per pill.

Bowline was found with about 80 blank prescription pads when he was busted, and officials determined 51 prescriptions had been written for 6,030 oxycodone pills in a three-state area. Prosecutors presented evidence Bowline had "diverted" about 14,000 oxycodone tablets in all. Since those pills typically go for $1 to $2 per milligram on the street, it's clear Bowline had a profitable enterprise going before he was nabbed.

Area doctors have also told us - usually off the record - that the problem isn't patients who have a medical need for opioids. It's the criminals who sell the drugs, and their customers who use narcotics recreationally. Some doctors are also concerned that in the public's zeal to cut down on opioid abuse, the former group of people will be be penalized along with the latter group.

It's important that law enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges go after the criminals with every tool available. They know, too, that many recreational users find oxycodone won't give them the high they crave after a long period of heavy use. That's when these people turn to heroin. At that point, these abusers can no longer hold legitimate jobs, and become just another burden on a society that can't afford it - especially in Oklahoma.

As officials begin their relentless pursuit of drug criminals, people with prescriptions for opioids also need to be vigilant. Many people have been shocked to find that friends and family members will steal their stash, either for their own recreational use or to sell for money to use for other purposes. Once a person has become addicted to a substance - whether it be alcohol, heroin or any other strong drug - he or she may go to unimaginable lengths to get what they need.

Addiction and criminal behavior take a lot of victims, from all walks of life, and the rest of us need to be ready to fight back.