Narco-Pops Showing Up On Street
Narcotic Painkiller Looks, Tastes Like Lollipop; Abuse A Concern
From www.CBSNews.com
By Mark Scolforo, The Associated Press
September 21, 2007
(AP) A narcotic painkiller that looks like
a lollipop — designed
to speed relief to cancer patients — is starting to show up in illegal
sales with the nickname "perc-a-pop." The drug's ease of use and
sweet taste have law enforcement officials worried about the potential for
abuse.
Actiq, a berry-flavored lozenge on a stick, contains the synthetic opioid
fentanyl.
"We're starting to see it emerge as a drug that is, as we call it,
'diverted,' which is a legally prescribed drug being used illegally," said
Kevin Harley, spokesman for state Attorney General Jerry Pappert. "It's
a drug that is easily administered or taken by somebody who might be afraid
to either take a pill, snort or inject a needle in their arm."
The attractive taste — described by the manufacturer as a "mild
berry flavor" — makes abuse more likely, he added. Harley said
each Actiq lozenge retails for $9.10. The street value of a perc-a-pop is
$20.
"We started seeing them in Philly, and that's where we understand the
nickname came from," he said.
Manufactured by Cephalon Inc., Actiq's active ingredient is absorbed by
rubbing the lozenge against the inside of the cheek.
It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration
to combat "breakthrough
pain," flare-ups suffered by cancer patients who are already taking
narcotics in more conventional liquid or pill form to cope with chronic pain.
"Like any opioid, there is a potential for misuse," said company
spokeswoman Stacey Backhardt. She said the company believes, however, "there
has not been a substantial diversion of this product in the state or elsewhere."
Fentanyl was first introduced as an intravenous anesthetic called Sublimaze
in the 1960s. Besides being taken orally, it is also dispensed as a transdermal
patch under the trade name Duragesic.
Hospitals in the lower 48 states reported 576 incidents of non-medical use
of fentanyl products in 2000; the number rose to 1,506 by 2002, said Leah
R. Young, spokeswoman for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
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