In February, South Jordan police announced they had arrested a 17-year-old boy who allegedly bought anti-convulsant via the Internet from a company in India with the alleged intent of selling them to other students.

The teen allegedly gave some of the pills to friends, who later suffered serious health problems. He eventually pleaded guilty in juvenile court to drug-related charges and was fined and put on probation.

That arrest led police to an even bigger drug operation and the arrests of six people, including one who was shot by police after he allegedly tried to run them over with his car.

Part of the allure of prescription drugs in preference to alcohol or other drugs is that they are much "cleaner," officials say. But once a person is hooked on prescription drugs, the abuse can often progress into something much bigger, such as illicit street drugs.

Once taking Oxycontin pills straight fails to have the desired effect, abusers often start crushing the pills open and snorting them for a bigger high. When that high no longer satisfies an abuser, or once an abuser can no longer afford the fairly expensive pills, Crookston said it is a natural progression to move on to the less expensive heroin.

"I had one (patient) who never smoked or drank but got hooked on oxy," he said. "People who never dreamed they would be a heroin addict . . . started with prescription drugs."

The allure of profit from the prescription-drug trade can also be great, Crookston said. At up to $40 per pill, people who obtain their pills legally can make a little extra income by selling off a couple of extra pills on the street.

What many teens and some adults tend to forget is that selling "extra" pills is a felony offense, Crookston said.

That makes it vital for doctors to be careful and alert when prescribing the powerful medications, Crookston said, especially in light of the fact that abusers often become experts at lying to their doctor — or multiple doctors — about illnesses and pain to obtain more drugs.

Even as law enforcers watch abusers, they also keep a close eye on the doctors who prescribe the medication.

In May, the licenses of a Salt Lake doctor and his assistant were suspended following an investigation of insurance fraud and a drug distribution scheme. The doctor allegedly prescribed nearly 74,000 tablets during the past 12 to 16 months, more than 24 times the average amount for other doctors.

---

E-mail: preavy@desnews.com