A recent report by an official government body, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found the following related to prescription drug abuse and misuse in New Hampshire:
Among young adults (18-25), misuse of psychotherapeutic drugs was 14.5% nationally and 19.3% in New Hampshire, putting it just behind West Virginia, but just ahead of Arkansas.
Pain reliever misuse was 11.8% nationally among young adults (18-25) and was 15.8% in New Hampshire, again putting it just behind West Virginia, but just ahead of Indiana.
Stimulant abuse among young adults (18-25) was 3.6% nationally and 5.7% in New Hampshire.
Sedative abuse among young adults (18-25) was 0.5% nationally and 1.0% in New Hampshire (tying it with West Virginia).
A National Center for Health Statistics study from 1999-2004 on states with the highest increases in methadone-related fatalities put New Hampshire at number 6 (up there with Kentucky and Louisiana).
Finally, the Department of Justice wrote in a recent report on drug abuse wrote:
Diverted Pharmaceuticals. The diversion and abuse of several pharmaceutical drugs, particularly OxyContin (oxycodone) and Ritalin (methylphenidate), pose a significant and increasing threat to New Hampshire. Other pharmaceuticals such as Vicodin (hydrocodone) and Percocet (oxycodone) also are diverted and abused, although to a lesser extent. According to NHDSA data, the number of oxycodone-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in New Hampshire increased substantially (204%) from 27 in 1997 to 82 in 2001. (See Table 1 on page 2.) The number of treatment admissions for Ritalin abuse in New Hampshire is not available; however, state and local law enforcement officials report that abuse levels are high among junior high and high school students.
These are prescription medications. So, in the majority of cases, a New Hampshire physician signed his or her name to a pad and enabled the abuse. In fact, the Department of Justice report notes that “doctor shopping” is one of the means by which these drugs are obtained for abusive purposes. It’s no wonder Rep. Rosenwald wanted this law – and all the more ironic that she chairs the New Hampshire House of Representatives Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee. Shouldn’t she have been trying to stop prescription drug abuse in New Hampshire, especially among children? So why pass a law to keep this information secret?
Representative Cindy Rosenwald’s actions were admirable – she wanted to protect her husband, Dr. Peter Klementowicz. Her motivations on behalf of her husband were openly discussed in an interview they gave with The New Republic magazine last year. It’s admirable that she wanted to protect her husband and help him shield his business practices, but it was a bad idea for the people of New Hampshire - a state suffering from prescription drug abuse.
A recent report by an official government body, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found the following related to prescription drug abuse and misuse in New Hampshire:
A National Center for Health Statistics study from 1999-2004 on states with the highest increases in methadone-related fatalities put New Hampshire at number 6 (up there with Kentucky and Louisiana).
Finally, the Department of Justice wrote in a recent report on drug abuse wrote: