South Florida pain centers that promote pill trade face scrutiny

Many area centers dispensing drugs do so legally, but police say others promote pill trade
By Bob LaMendola South Florida Sun-Sentinel
April 7, 2009

“Experts say the growth in unscrupulous pain clinics is contributing to a rise in prescription drug overdoses. More than 4,000 Floridians died from prescription drug overdoses last year, about 11 a day, up by 20 percent over the year before, police said. High schoolers are among the 750,000 people who abuse the drugs.Addicts commit burglaries, robberies and other crimes to feed their habits, and anger clinic neighbors with disruptive behavior, police said. Some clinics have had to hire armed guards.”

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