Jackson, Drugs and a Growing U.S. Trend

Pop Icon's Reported Problem with Prescription Drugs Highlights Rise of Pharmaceuticals Abuse in the Country

(CBS)  The suspected overdose of the King of Pop has already drawn comparisons to that of the King of Rock, Elvis Presley, whose death in 1977 is also blamed on prescription drugs.

Michael Jackson could be just the latest victim in a string of celebrity deaths caused by prescription drugs, reports CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano.

"People who get heavily involved thing that it's safer because it comes to them with a prescription on the label and a doctor's name on it," investigative journalist Gerald Posner said.

Nearly 7 million people abuse pharmaceuticals nationwide - more than cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy and inhalants combined.

In a startling new report, deaths in Florida from the drug oxycodone, better known as oxycontin, are up 33 percent from 2007 to 2008.

Click here for full coverage of Michael Jackson's death

"When the cocaine dealers are turning into pharmaceuticals dealers, that tells you how lucrative it is," said Capt. Karl Durr, of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division.

Law enforcement officers focus on suspects accused of "doctor shopping" - going from doctor to doctor buying prescription pain killers to abuse or sell. It's a practice authorities believe Jackson may have been partaking in as well.

"Where he got the drugs from is the $64,000 question," Posner said. "He had doctors everywhere."

That gives the enigmatic Jackson something tragically in common with the rest of America.

[FAREWELLMJ]

Michael Jackson was an excellent singer and a kind man. We need to stop and remember the King of Pop, there is to much on the news and the web that is negative and positive. The fact of the matter is that he was and always will be the King of Pop. If you want to remember Michael Jackson then please visit this Memorial website dedicated to Michael Jackson there is alot of new stuff add daily. http://www.farewell-michael-jackson.com This is not a negative site so if you don't care for the pop star don't visit.

[Henri_Rochard]

Jackson had PLENTY of cash to pay off doctors to get any kind of drug he wanted.

I couldn't get a prescription from my family doctor for any of this stuff.

[stillwaters6]

HOLD UP...the economy is in a recession...doctors are prescribing vicodin, darvocet, percodan, and oxycontin like there is no tomorrow especially in Florida. Now if someone has a prescription for these items and their medicare card, not the patient, has paid for the prescription then it would be in the patients best interest to sell the pills on the street to help pay rent.

Even doctors are feeling the blues of the recession...so why should they not prescribe more pills to someone who can pay for them regardless of medical history. TRUST ME MJ would not have had all those pills if he were not cutting a check to the medical gatekeeper of them...

Legal or Illegal...all forms of addictive Drugs will yield a most lucrative business for gatekeepers, companies, and, the street hustler ...

Oaths do no generate $$$

[sean7phil]

The pharmaceutical industry is also very corrupt. It has become "acceptable" and "normal" industry-wide to manufacture and give patients addictive medications. As if addiction was actually an acceptable or manageable trade-off.

NO psych medications should ever be addictive. And addiction is NEVER an acceptable trade-off.

[Heartlight]

Somebody has to graduate at the bottom of the class! I have , once or twice, worked with MD's who actually had a following of druggies. At first you think you are just being critcal, then you begin realizing these patients ARE abusing. Some of them are other MD's wives. Frequently coming in for one issue or another, almost always leaving with pain RX. Some of these people were "respectable" addicts. Coming in for regular visits, leaving with pain med prescriptions. I remember warning one MD he was getting a 'rep' as "have pen will travel." When one of his patients couldn't be fit into the schedule one day (she was not ill) she stormed the office, telling us to let him know she would wait until he could make time. He woke up that day! Didn't change, but it was a scare. Apparently they are unable to comprehend the first rule of the Hippocratic oath! (First, do no harm.)Sadly, for any of us office workers, ticking off any of these 'frequent flyers' was risking dismissal. When you have pharmacists calling and yelling at the MD to cut the crap or they will call the DEA, time to move on. The rest of us can walk out of the office with a broken hand and get Ibuprofen so the 'regulars' can still get their drugs.