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CARISOPRODOL/SOMA IN THE NEWS
The Soma Pipeline By Kristina Davis, East Valley Tribune NOGALES, Mexico - Here, just across the border, neon-colored signs in the windows of dozens of pharmacies scream "Soma for sale." Pharmacy workers said they fill Soma orders several times a week for American teenagers, a trend that has been going on for years. But the Soma pipeline from Mexico has been largely hush-hush in the East Valley until police broke up a couple of Soma drug rings recently at local high schools. A 16-year-old Gilbert girl was arrested last month and later charged with two drug-related crimes, and seven other teens could face similar charges after Soma was found at five Mesa and Gilbert schools. Twenty-nine Gilbert students were suspended in March for buying, possessing or selling the drug on campus. As the prescription drug trend has come to the forefront, Mexican officials say they are cracking down on pharmacies that sell the drug without authorized prescriptions, while U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials plan to propose placing the drug under federal control. AN EASY BUY Soma, or carisoprodol, is a muscle relaxant that requires a prescription in Arizona. In Mexico, it is sold under the name Somacid, a less expensive brand manufactured in Guadalajara. Last month, the Mexican federal Secretariat of Health sent a letter to Nogales pharmacies warning that Soma was a controlled substance and was illegal to sell without a prescription from an American or Mexican doctor, pharmacy employees said. But Dr. Jaime Leon, an official with the Secretariat of Health in Hermosillo, Mexico, could not confirm if Soma has been officially reclassified under the country’s General Health Law. "Unfortunately, a revision would still make it hard to control," Leon said. "It would still be sold freely." And that’s apparent. Most pharmacies continue to sell the drug with no questions asked. A Tribune reporter easily purchased 100 Somacid pills for $30 without a prescription from Nogales Pharmacy earlier this month. But at other pharmacies, a prescription was necessary when the reporter identified herself as such. A prescription, however, can be easily purchased from pharmacies or local doctors. "I can write a prescription for $20 extra," offered one salesman from Discount Pharmacy, the city’s largest pharmacy chain. "It will say your name and take once a day or once an hour, whatever you want." BRINGING IT HOME Soma is not only easy to purchase in Mexican pharmacies, but it is legal to bring across the border in small amounts without a prescription. All prescription medications from Mexico require a prescription from an American doctor, said Joyce Jarvis, a supervisor with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. But the customs agency and DEA allow travelers to bring back up to 50 pills per person of any FDA-approved medication from Mexico without a prescription, federal officials said. The DEA considers that to be a reasonable amount of pills for legitimate personal medical use. The pills must be declared to customs officials, or officials can seize the drug and fine violators the domestic value of the medication. "We are seeing in recent years the regulations being exploited by some people bringing the drugs into the U.S. for illicit use," said Ramona Sanchez, a spokeswoman for the DEA in Phoenix. The concern has prompted DEA officials to look at making Soma a federally controlled substance, which would place enforcement duties with the DEA instead of local police. A federal jurisdiction would mean harsher sentences for Soma buyers, distributors and traffickers. Sanchez said the DEA is beginning the process by gathering information on Soma for a report to be presented to the Department of Health and Human Services to reclassify the drug. "When we see teens abusing a drug like this, you can bet it will slowly creep into our radar. We take it very seriously," Sanchez said. "Hopefully it will prompt Mexican authorities that the problem is filtering in through the U.S." Soma (carisoprodol)
Article appears with permission from the East Valley Tribune. Eight teens could face charges in Soma drug ring Eight teenagers could face criminal charges after a Soma drug ring bust at five Mesa and Gilbert schools, police said Thursday. News of the bust comes three days after 500 parents showed up at a Gilbert Unified School District forum to discuss a recent rash of drug-related incidents, including the deaths of two teenagers. Soma is a prescription muscle relaxant whose generic name is carisoprodol. When taken in multiple doses, it has barbiturate — or alcohol-like effects. Abuse of the drug can result in seizures, coma or death. Kamry Clark, the Mesquite student, told detectives she bought drugs with her own money and money given to her by four friends from Desert Ridge, Westwood and Mountain View high schools in Mesa. Police found nearly 240 pills in Clark's bedroom. She said she gave between 200 and 890 pills to each of her friends, all of whom she'd known since grade or junior high school. Clark, 16, was arrested and booked into the Southeast Juvenile Facility in Mesa on suspicion of possession and transportation of a prescription-only drug for sale, possession of a prescription-only drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. Attempts to contact Clark's parents were unsuccessful. In all, police have recovered about 1,800 pills from seven students, three of whom had the drugs on campus with them, said Mesa Sgt. Ruben Quesada. One of the students had 75 packaged pills on him at Mountain View. Each pill typically sells for between $2 and $5, police said. Clark told police she didn't bring the drugs to school with her because administrators have a heightened awareness of the Soma problem since 29 Gilbert students were suspended in March for buying, possessing or selling Soma on campus. Police continue to track down leads in the hopes of finding the remaining 1,100 pills, Gaffney said. "We ask that parents please speak with their kids tonight and discuss the dangers of prescription drugs," Gaffney said. All of the students contacted so far have been from middle, if not upper class, homes and were making decent grades, said Mesa Sgt. Sean Kelly. In each case, the parents were shocked by the allegations and fully cooperative. Clark told police she wanted to be a schoolteacher. "That just shows they just don't get it," Kelly said. "Unfortunately many juveniles don't understand it's not only illegal to sell drugs, but it's wrong. Parents need to talk to their kids. You can't be a drug dealer one day and a schoolteacher the next." Mesa Unified School District officials were to send a letter home to parents today. The letter states in part, that "in addition to criminal charges, the students involved face serious disciplinary consequences from the district." Gilbert Unified School District officials, however, did not send a letter home because of the recent forum. Some students said the drug abuse isn't as rampant as it sounds. "It's just a few kids," said Mesquite freshman Trevor Given, 14. Article appears with permission from the East Valley Tribune. Soma fast becoming East Valley teens' drug of choice Abuse by teenagers of a widely prescribed muscle relaxant has prompted drug prevention officials to warn Scottsdale students about the drug, Soma. But Scottsdale students and parents are not the only ones who should be on alert. Across the East Valley, police, pharmacists and drug prevention professionals say Soma, the brand name for carisoprodol, is one of the most abused prescription drugs on the market today. Three recent cases of students abusing the drug prompted the principal of Apache Junction High School to issue a "Soma Alert" to parents. "Parents need to be alert to this," principal Carl Madzey said Friday. "It's kind of like when Ecstacy started — parents didn't know about that either." Apache Junction students told school officials they can buy Soma without a prescription for $1 a pill in Mexico. Ahwatukee Foothills resident Dawn Rae Nelson was shot and killed by a Chandler police officer in October when she tried to purchase Soma, police said, using a forged prescription at a Walgreens drive-through. This week, the Arizona Legislature took steps to crack down on Soma abuse by approving a bill that defines carisoprodol as a controlled substance. It's a felony for anyone to knowingly or intentionally acquire a controlled substance by means of forgery, fraud or deception. Chandler pharmacist Richard Myer said he sees at least one fraudulent prescription for Soma each week. "This drug is a huge problem," Myer said. "To me, this is no different than the Valium problem of the early 1970s. This drug is being prescribed and abused more than Valium ever was." Soma is often prescribed for back problems and muscle spasms. But when taken in multiple doses, it can cause barbiturate or alcohol-type effects. Abuse of the drug can even result in seizures, coma and death. This week, an Apache Junction High School student had to be transported from the school to Desert Samaritan Medical Center in Mesa after taking too many Soma pills. Madzey said the student is going to be fine, although at the time, the situation was considered "life-threatening." The school has had two other incidents of Soma abuse this school year — one about a month ago and another last December. Those followed about three Soma incidents at Apache Junction High last spring, Madzey said. All students involved have been expelled or are facing expulsion. While most of the 1,600 students at Apache Junction High are not abusing Soma, Madzey said he wanted to make sure parents knew about the dangers of the drug. "If taken in large quantities, it causes an effect similar to smoking marijuana," his newsletter to parents said. Actually, the effect is more similar to drinking too much alcohol, said Sgt. Bill Peters, drug recognition expert coordinator with the Mesa Police Department. "When we evaluate drivers who are impaired, we run across Soma all the time," Peters said. "We see people who get drunk on Soma and then have one beer — and they're just whacked out." Such abuse results in slurred speech, delayed response and lack of dexterity — all factors that contribute to traffic accidents. Crider said counselors at the Scottsdale Prevention Institute hear stories of students taking Soma without knowing what it is, and then mixing it with alcohol. "Put alcohol on top of a depressant and you're putting yourself into a critical situation," she said, adding that young girls can end up in unwanted sexual situations if they're under the relaxed influence of Soma. Hal Wand, deputy director of the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, said the board pushed this year for the Legislature to define Soma as a controlled substance. He said about 17 states have now classified the drug as a controlled substance. Article appears with permission from the East Valley Tribune. Arizona Legislature Passes Bill Classifying Soma as a Schedule IV Drug During its most recent session, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill classifying the muscle relaxer Carisoprodol, known more commonly by the brand name Soma, as a Schedule IV drug, making Arizona one of a handful of states to classify the drug as a controlled substance. Arizona Senate Bill 1300 will take effect September 18, and will place Carisoprodol in the same legal classification as Valium. Federal law states that Schedule IV drugs are those "which have low potential for abuse but may lead to physical or psychological dependence." States can classify certain drugs as controlled substances, while the drugs remain uncontrolled federally. A 2000 DEA report stated that Carisoprodol is the most abused non-controlled substance. Carisoprodol is metabolized to meprobamate, an anti-anxiety drug already classified federally under the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule IV drug. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, this conversion of may be a reason for its abuse, as it can prolong the effects of other drugs like alcohol or certain narcotics. An increase in the non-medical use of Carisoprodol is being seen across the country. The drug often is abused by those who use more than one drug, especially those dependent on opioids such as Oxycontin. According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, emergency rooms have seen a 50% increase in visits involving the non-medical use of Carisoprodol in the past several years, going from 6,100 ER mentions in 1997 to 11,200 in 2001. |
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