Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Xanax, oxycodone, hand sanitizer, mouthwash, cough syrup -- a lot more drivers are driving under the influence of things other than alcohol and Sgt. Gary Larsen, of the Caledonia Police Department, said he'd like it to stop.
Caledonia Police Lt. Gary Larsen remembers all too well the drunk driving and over-medicated driving arrests he's made. But, the one he recalls the quickest happened this spring -- Daniel J. Hess, 38, of Caledonia, is accused of homicide for his role in a fatal car crash. According to the criminal complaint filed in October, Hess told officers he took Percocet before driving. A blood test revealed he had Oxycodone, Hydromorphine and Methadone in his system at the time of the incident. Hess' case is still pending in court. The total number of drunk and over-medicated drivers has increased slightly. Last year, the department had 96 intoxicated driving arrests, and to date they've already had 100. Larsen said he would rather not have any, but…
Thursday, July 26, 2012
While 37 doctors, researchers and public health officials are petitioning the FDA to limit the use of painkillers, a local police official is unsure if the rule changes will help those already addicted.
A group of doctors, researchers and public health officials want to see the Federal Drug Administration limit the use of prescription pain medications. However, Caledonia Police Lt. Gary Larsen isn't sure the proposed changes will affect the behavior of people already addicted to painkillers. Members of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing want drug makers to stop marketing narcotic painkillers to people suffering from chronic, non-cancer pain. The petition also identifies doctors who are overprescribing the medications and writing prescriptions for high dosages as the reason for the label restriction. "By implementing the label changes proposed in this petition, FDA has an opportunity reduce harm caused to chronic pain patients …
Friday, February 24, 2012
Prescription drug deaths are increasing at an alarming rate. How about less focus on the weed and little more on the medicine cabinets?
Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, Michael Jackson, Britney Murphy and now, perhaps, Whitney Houston are just a few names on a very long list of prescription contributed celebrity deaths. We watch TMZ and E! delve into their short lives and untimely demise. We may post about it on Facebook, share our shock or sadness, but soon enough, it is a long forgotten tragedy until the next one arises. What many of us may not consider is Joe, Shelly or Mike who also suffered the same exact consequences. People in our own families, our neighborhoods, and our communities are dead because of that little orange bottle labeled with a doctor’s name and instructions. Take two and call me in the morning has turned into…take 12 and if you still feel bad…maybe …
Denise Lockwood
9:59 am on Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Yeah... what he said... more ›