Drug Czar To Tackle Prescription Medicine Abuse
Drug Agencies Announce $12 Billion Initiative
John Walters, the man in charge of the National Drug Control Policy, said prescription drug abuse has exploded in the United States. And the drug czar said it's a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Walters said that in 2002, more than 6 million Americans abused prescription drugs, compared with just more than 1.5 million two years earlier.A recent report found that prescription medicine now ranks second, behind marijuana, among drugs most abused by adults and young people, according to the agency. Walters announced Monday a $12 billion federal strategy that focuses on reducing demand through prevention, intervention and treatment, and controlling the supply of illegal drugs entering the United States. The initiative includes tracking a patient's use of prescription medicine and using monitoring programs to detect a pattern of abuse, such as "doctor shopping," where a patient gets prescriptions for drugs from more than one doctor. The Drug Enforcement Administration also plans to aggressively pursue pharmacies selling controlled substances illegally over the Internet."Criminals who divert legal drugs into the illegal market are no different from a cocaine or heroin dealer peddling poisons on the street corner," said Karen Tandy, DEA administrator. Additional Resources:Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

















The Florida Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence in a 1994 Broward County murder and ordered an acquittal in the case.
Paris Hilton arrives in a Miami courtroom Thursday after being named in a federal lawsuit involving one of her movies.
A baby boy comes into the world on a rare, twice-a-century alignment -- 12:34:56 on 07/08/09.
During a hearing, more details come to light about an incident between former Yankee Jim Leyritz and his wife that resulted in his arrest.
The Coast Guard says it has recovered human remains among a two-mile debris field off Florida's Gulf Coast from a small plane that crashed en route to Tampa.
A Stillwater, Okla., mom gives birth to baby with a very rare birth date and time.
The Broward Sheriff's Office is creating a hate crime task force after earning the dubious distinction of having the highest number of reported hate crimes in Florida.
Watch in its entirety the Michael Jackson memorial from Staples Center in Los Angeles.
A 5-year-old boy was released from a hospital Wednesday after police officers pulled him from the bottom of a spa, where his arm had gotten stuck in a drain.
Since Michael Jackson died June 25, fans from around the world have expressed their grief in flowers, balloons, teddy bears, candles, pictures and handwritten notes left throughout the city.
Severe weather photos sent in by Local 10 viewers.
Everyone is entitled to a bad hair day and a few ill-advised fashion choices, but those with stylists and high-profile appearances to make should know better. Check out which celebs missed the mark.
Police are searching for two men who stole a tip jar from a Subway restaurant when they couldn't get into the cash register.













