War on Drugs has some new battlefields

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July 13, 2012

War on Drugs has some new battlefields

Anonymous Daily Star The Daily Star Fri Jul 13, 2012, 09:10 AM EDT

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone. Cannabicyclohexanol. Mephedrone. Salvia.

Not exactly household names. But these drugs may very well be in local households right now, alongside more-familiar substances such as marijuana, heroin and oxycodone.

Local law enforcement officials recently interviewed by The Daily Star spoke about the prevalence of drug-related crimes in the area.

Regular readers of the newspaper may not find this surprising. Drug arrests are common, ranging from violations for marijuana possession to major busts such as one in March that took down a Hobart man suspected of being the major dealer of oxycodone to the area.

"Everyone is having a problem," Otsego County District Attorney John Muehl said of the drug situation in the area.

But the idea that drugs are the single biggest law enforcement problem in the region can seem at odds with what we see every day.

Walk down Oneonta's Main Street, and you aren't typically confronted by strung-out junkies slumped in doorways. But heroin use is prevalent in the city, and beyond.

The area hasn't had a high-profile attack connected with the drug known as "bath salts," as other upstate communities have. In June, a Utica woman said to be under the influence of bath salts tried to bite police and told them she wanted to eat someone. But local law enforcement officials say that bath salt use is on the rise here, too.

These "designer drugs" contain a variety of different chemicals, including the amphetamine-like methylenedioxypyrovalerone, mephedrone and pyrovalerone. Users often experience hallucinations, paranoia and delusions, in addition to the feelings of stimulation and euphoria.

President Barack Obama signed legislation Monday outlawing the drugs, in addition to synthetic marijuana. But that doesn't mean they're going away any time soon.

Because it's not always obvious to the casual observer, it would be nice to imagine that the area doesn't have a drug problem. But that would be naive. And changing the status quo isn't easy.

It takes parents who are familiar enough with the new generation of drugs to identify them, and connected enough to their children to know when something's wrong.

It takes a nimble government to ensure that laws are sufficient to keep up with an ever-changing array of chemical compounds masquerading as harmless substances such as "bath salts."

It takes a savvy and empowered police force that has the tools and the knowledge sufficient to catch the people buying and selling these substances.

And, most of all, it takes a population of people who are brave, confident and self-respecting enough to follow the teachings of Nancy Reagan, and "Just say no."