DEA launches text tip initiative to fight prescription drug activity
Oct 22, 2014, 8:32 PM | Updated: Oct 23, 2014, 7:30 am
PHOENIX — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration wants to get a text from you.
It could help them fight prescription drug abuse.
“Today, we’re announcing an anonymous text tip line that the citizens of Arizona can use to let us know about potential prescription drug abuse, and potential illegal diversion of prescription drugs,” said Doug Coleman, a special agent for the DEA in Phoenix.
Coleman says prescription drug abuse is a big problem.
“It’s one of our fastest growing addiction issues in the country,” said Coleman.
And it’s leading to another problem. High demand has caused the street prices for illegal prescription drugs to rise, and Coleman said that’s caused the Mexican drug cartels to take action.
“They realize that ‘Hey, we can send in heroin, and when people can’t pay what they have to pay for the (prescription) pills, they’ll come back to us, and they’ll buy heroin from us (the drug cartels),” Coleman said. “We’ve seen a 23 percent increase in heroin coming across the border in the last year.”
You can leave your anonymous tip by texting TIPRX to TIP 411 (847411).
Coleman said that once the DEA gets your tip, they’ll decide whether to investigate.
