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Schumer Wants To Tighten Restrictions On Prescription Narcotics
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 27, 2011
Modified Jun 27, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 27, 2011
Modified Jun 27, 2011
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In the wake of the gruesome Long Island pharmacy murders which saw four innocent people gunned down in a prescription drug robbery, Senator Chuck Schumer is seeking to restrict the number of painkillers doctors may prescribe and increase the penalties for those who steal them. "If the events of last week don't wake us up to the severity of the problem, I don't know what will," Schumer told reporters. "The problem is more serious these days than heroin, than crack, than methamphetamine." Prescription drug abuse has increased 400% in the last decade, and doctors wrote 48% more prescriptions for narcotics in 2009 than in 200, the Daily News reports. Pharmacy robberies have surged 81% since 2006.
Schumer's bill would mandate training for physicians on the signs of prescription drug abuse, and double the penalties up to 20 years in prison for selling, transporting, and stealing medication like oxycodone and vicodin. Schumer is co-sponsoring legislation with West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller, whose state has the nation's highest rate of drug deaths. More people in West Virginia die of drug overdoses than from car accidents. Notably absent from Schumer's announcement is a push for drug treatment, as the number of those who seek help with a prescription drug addiction has markedly increased in the last decade.
Tagged
charles schumer
dea
drug abuse
prescription drug abuse
senator schumer
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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