Hamilton County is far from immune to the prescription drug epidemic sweeping the nation. - Photo: Stephenie Livingston

A new epidemic has hit Hamilton County. Sheriff’s deputies with Hamilton County Drug Task Force say prescription pills, especially pain pills, have become a dangerous trend here as well as nationwide.

An untold number of accidental deaths involving pharmaceutical drugs are believed to have occurred locally, according to Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Cecil Brownfield. There have been where

Prescription pills are believed to have played a role in at least two deaths in Hamilton County over the past few weeks, he said.

The stories aren’t hard to find.

“We buy pills off a friend who trades marijuana for her friend’s prescribed meds. It’s the cleanest buzz you can get,” said one Jasper man, who declined to be identified, of himself and his friends. “We also buy them off a buddy who steals them from his grandmother.”

According to Deputy Marvin Page of the Task Force, Florida has become the epicenter not just for natives, but for out-of-staters who come to Florida by plane, train and car, all for easily attainable prescription drugs.

The problem is pain clinics, some of which will sell drugs to just about anyone.

“Florida has become a Mecca for pain clinics and, therefore, for pain pill addicts and dealers,” said Page. “There’s no law in affect in Florida to discourage these pain clinics.” 

Pain clinics have been outlawed in both Kentucky and Tennessee.

In Florida, however, pain clinics are not unlike nightclubs, said Brownfield.

“In South Florida and Jacksonville, there are usually long lines outside of pain clinics,” said Brownfield, “with bouncers and all. Many clinics stay open until 1 or 2 a.m.”

Brownfield said there are many legitimate pain clinics, and people who legitimately have pain. However, to combat those practices, mobile MRI units emerged.

“They’ll give you a cheap MRI, or sell you someone else’s,” said Brownfield.

Locally, prescription pills have become easier to find than traditional drugs. “It’s easier to buy pills around here than cocaine or marijuana,” said Brownfield.

“It’s cheaper too. People who have prescriptions are selling them to make money.

They can get anywhere from $5-$80 per pill. They find out how easy it is.”

Advanced users will crush up the pills and snort them, said Brownfield. He has also confiscated needles used for injecting altered prescription pills.

Page said the abuse takes a terrible toll on the user’s body.

“Basically, abuse of pain pills breaks your body down, your heart, liver, teeth all start to deteriorate,” said Page. Arresting users is an attempt to save their life, said Page.

“A lot of users aren’t bad people,” said Brownfield. “They’re just addicted to a drug, and most addicts aren’t intentional.”

“And these things are highly addictive,” Brownfield said as he pointed to several bottles of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and Xanax, all confiscated from the same individual.

As noted, trafficking and use of prescription pills is a local, state and national problem.

Hamilton County is not alone in the fight, however. The state of Florida will soon launch a new prescription drug-monitoring program. “Doctors can look it up and see if a person has been receiving it from other doctors in the state,” said Page.

Page said other states are pleading with Florida to not only adopt a drug monitoring system, but also new legislature that will shut down many illegitimate pain clinics.

But for now, he says Florida will continue to be known as a “junkie Disney World,” with Hamilton County as one of its gateways.