Thursday, November 25, 2010

So I got an idea..




I can’t watch another young person
die from a drug overdose.
It is heartbreaking.


Abuse of prescription drugs to get high has become increasingly prevalent among teens and young adults.  While heroin is probably the # 1 killer, prescription drugs come in a close second.                                                                   
Prescription painkillers — which kill thousands of Americans a year — has become a largely unrecognized epidemic, experts say. In fact, prescription drugs cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses each year, says Leonard Paulozzi of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



Where are they getting them?
 Well, the answer is they are buying them off of people who doctor shop and get the prescriptions for the sole purpose of selling them. They are prescription drug dealers.
 Plain and simple.  
People go to several doctors every month for various reasons and get a prescription of narcotics from each doctor. They then go to different drug stores and get the prescriptions filled. Then they sell them for anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars a pill ! 



So I got an idea..

Why can’t there be some kind of Data Base in the state that can alert either the doctor or the pharmacy that this person has received several prescriptions of narcotics?
I did some research and found this :


STATE PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING PROGRAMS
According to the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws (NAMSDL), a PDMP is a statewide electronic database which collects designated data on substances dispensed in the state. The PDMP is housed by a specified statewide regulatory, administrative or law enforcement agency. The housing agency distributes data from the database to individuals who are authorized under state law to receive the information for purposes of their profession.




O.K.. but what does it mean and how does it work ?   I plan to find out.

It says it is “designed to identify and deter or prevent drug abuse and diversion.”
If anyone knows how this works (or doesn’t work).. Please let me know.







Did you hear about the Carjacking?
 Not too many people did…I heard it on the scanner then waited for it to be in the papers.. but it wasn’t. 
                        Too bad ,seems like it was pretty important.

Channel 16 did report this on November 22:

“Police in Kingston are investigating a report of a carjacking that happened early Monday morning.
Investigators said a man pulled into a gas station at the corner of South Wyoming Avenue and Northampton Street before realizing it was closed. He got into his car to leave when another vehicle pulled in front of him. Police said two men wearing dark ski masks got out and one put a gun to the victim's head and ordered him out of the car.
The second man got into the victim's four-door white Hyundai and drove away, leaving the owner behind. He was not hurt.”

Then on November 23 they reported this :

“A reported carjacking that happened in Kingston didn't really happen in Kingston.
That's the word Tuesday from detectives who investigated the case.
On Monday someone said they had their car stolen by people with guns.
The victim said it happened at Wyoming Avenue and Northampton Street, but Tuesday Kingston police said it happened in the Back Mountain under another jurisdiction.
State police are now investigating the case.”

Well, wherever it happened .. it was bad.
The Department of Justice reports that approximately 49,000 carjacking cases occur each year in the United States.





Golden opportunities: what do carjackers look for?

Intersections controlled by stop lights or signs.
Garages and parking lots for mass transit, shopping malls, and grocery stores.
Self-serve gas stations and car washes.
ATMs (automated teller machines).
Residential driveways and streets as people get into and out of cars.
Highway exit and entry ramps, or anyplace else that drivers slow down or stop.

Reduce Your Risk

Getting In
Walk with purpose and stay alert.
Approach your car with the key in hand. Look around and inside the car before getting in.
Be wary of people asking for directions or handing out fliers.
Trust your instincts - if something makes you feel uneasy, get into the car quickly, lock the doors, and drive away. 

On the Road
Keep your doors locked and windows rolled up (at least part-way, if it's hot and you don't have air conditioning), no matter how short the distance or how safe the neighborhood.
When you're coming to a stop, leave enough room to maneuver around other cars, especially if you sense trouble and need to get away.
Drive in the center lane to make it harder for would-be carjackers to approach the car.
Avoid driving alone. Go with someone whenever possible, especially at night.
Don't stop to assist a stranger whose car is broken down. Help instead by driving to the nearest phone and calling police to help.

Getting Out
Park in well-lighted areas, near sidewalks or walkways. Avoid parking near dumpsters, woods, large vans or trucks, or anything else that limits your visibility.
Never leave valuables in plain view, even if the car is locked.
Put them in the trunk or out of sight.
Try to park in a garage with an attendant. Leave only the ignition key, with no identification.
Even if you're rushed, look around before you get out and stay alert to the surroundings.

If It Happens to You...
If the carjacker threatens you with a gun or other weapon, give up your car. Don't argue. Your life is worth more than a car.
Get away from the area as quickly as possible.
Try to remember what the carjacker looked like - sex, race, age, hair and eye color, special features, clothes.
Report the crime immediately to the police.

                                           *************************************

I got a call from one of our Crime Watch members who lives in an apartment telling me she is always smelling a skunk in the hallway.



 She was told me that her friend said it was probably marijuana!
 What ?…  I thought.  Well low and behold there is >>>>

“Skunk Pot-A particularly powerful hybrid of cannabis plants, with a strong pungent smell. Used as a basis for cross breeding with other varieties or grown for its own qualities.”
And you can even buy the seeds online !

                                                                **********************


This article caught my eye.  

 "Take A Walk With History"- It was in a local magazine telling people what a
great place the Olmstead Trail is ! 


 Wow. that is not what I seen. It is dirty and dangerous.
 People should not be unaware of the conditions of this place
 if they plan on walking it.



The beat goes on…

News from From “ Scanner Addict”

Thanksgiving night- multiple car breakins at movies 14 parkade.

Thanksgiving Eve – Major fight at Hardware Bar.

Burglary- Marlboro Ave.   

2 comments:

  1. What great new posts Charlotte! Keep up the good work, as always.

    I do know that individual drugstores, such as CVS, carry your prescriptions within all of their stores so you can't duplicate scripts until you are truly almost out of your meds. I, too, thought there was a regulatory law in existence that prevented this duplication between all drugstores, but, after reading of so many people getting such duplicate prescriptions, I simply assumed the law didn't exist in the regulatory way I thought it did. I will do more research on this.

    How can we keep ourselves safe if crime isn't reported, especially something so heinous and new for this area such as a car jacking. It seems that Wilkes Barre can't afford to overlook any new trend in crime because once it starts it becomes epidemic across the city.

    How coincidental that a favorable article about the Olmstead Trail popped up after Charlotte's attempt at clean-up, article here on the blog and pictures. It is almost as though someone only looked at the old pictures and assumed Charlotte's Boy Scouts performed a miracle. Don't we wish! I would love to bike and walk my dog on such a lovely trail, if it were safe!
    Ciao!

    ReplyDelete
  2. very good web site keep up the good work

    ReplyDelete