DEA Seeks Prosecutors To Fight Opioid Crisis; Critics Fear Return To War On Drugs
The Drug Enforcement Administration has proposed hiring its own prosecutor corps to bring cases related to drug trafficking, money laundering and asset forfeiture — a move that advocacy groups warn could exceed the DEA’s legal authority and reinvigorate the 1980s-era war on drugs.
Citing the epidemic in opioid-related overdoses, the DEA said it wants to hire as many as 20 prosecutors to enhance its resources and target the biggest offenders. The DEA said the new force of lawyers “would be permitted to represent the United States in criminal and civil proceedings before the courts and apply for various legal orders.” The agency would use money it gets from companies that manufacture and dispense certain kinds of prescription drugs under the federal Controlled Substances Act.
The agency’s proposal, published in the federal register in March, received little if any public attention. But it would represent the first time the DEA had its own, dedicated prosecutors to go after drug-related offenses. Those lawyers would be shared or “detailed” to U.S. attorney’s offices and the main Justice Department, after an assessment of which regions needed the most help.
In an interview, DEA spokesman Rusty Payne described the plan as an outgrowth of the destruction that opioids have wreaked.
“We’re losing 90 people a day to opioids and about 140 a day to drugs altogether,” Payne said. “It’s pretty clear we’ve got to use the tools we have at our disposal to attack this. We’ve got to hold accountable the people who are facilitating addiction and heartache.”
“In this notice, the DEA effectively proposes a power grab and is trying to end-run the congressional appropriations process,” said Michael Collins, deputy director at the Drug Policy Alliance.
Collins said the special account at DEA is intended to keep prescription drugs safe and available to patients who need them, not to pay for prosecutors to target drug offenders. He said the rule is yet another warning signal that the Justice Department is shifting its approach to drug criminals under new Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Sessions, who was a U.S. attorney in Alabama in the 1980s, frequently decries the danger from drugs and gangs and uses rhetoric with echoes from the height of the cocaine epidemic.
“If the Sessions DOJ wants to abandon criminal justice reform, and escalate the war on drugs, that conversation should happen above board and in public; not in some arcane rule making document that very few people read or understand,” Collins added.
Filed under: General Problems
I would like to know if the FDA has recently passed a new law stating if you are on opiates for pain, that you can no longer take benzodiazipines? I have been on both for 23 years (alprazolam) due to MS, defective sleep structures in my brain, etc… I do not sleep without alprazolam. My pain doctor told me in April he would not write my script for oxycodone if I took alprazolam. I slept a total of 9 1/2 hours the whole month of April. My visit with the pain doc on May 3rd, I was told this was a new FDA ruling that just went into effect. I had to make a choice of taking alprazolam or oxycodone. I choose the alprazolam because it also helps tamper the pain I have from 2 failed back surgeries in the 70’s, severe osteoporosis & osteoarthritis with many breaks, spinal hemangiomas,, several surgeries to correct some of these problems to no avail just more pain problems. I will now be weaned off of the oxycodone by the pain management doctor. I took my alprazalom last night, got 8 1/2 hours hour of restful restorative sleep, & did not have to take a oxycodone this morning. Lack of sleep & increase of pain go hand in hand. I don’t believe the alprazalom will relieve all the pain so wonder if this law is true or not, or if this pain doc just wants me to get off of everything that lets me function as a normal human being. I have much to do as my husband is totally bedridden, plus life in general! Am I to just sign up for a nursing home myself? If this is a new rule, we must fight it!
I do not think it is federal law but it might be a state law or health regulation or something like that. But I think he thinking the CDC suggest you don’t use both and does not have to follow them because it also says further done their line that this are just suggesting and nothing more. Well as you will know they did a lot more then “nothing more”.
Dr.Ibsen was right,,,they want ALLLL OPIATES GONE,, no matter if ours is a medicione,,My moronic Doc,,,said it too me,,,when I told him the cdc annouced our medicine no-longer plays any roll in these idiotds o.d…ing,,,he came back at me w////”but their still opaites,”!!! wth,,,,,this comming from a Pain Management Doctor!!!!!MARYW
When you say opioids can you break this down what are you talking about. .Mr Sessions this what I was talking about when I said you live on the edge of truth . Instead of being honest and straight forward you pick out little bits of a subject to convince others that your right. Just present facts. Your not doing this because you care about the people your getting a big payoff.
Shame on you. I’m really sick of paying your health insurance. Talk about that with the people.
Sandrag