NEDROW --
Classes begin at Onondaga Central schools today with heavy hearts as students and teachers mourn the death of a young man whose life ended much too soon. Matthew Kappelmeier was found dead in the backyard of a friend's house in Nedrow Sunday of an apparent drug overdose. He was just 13-years-old and would have started 8th grade today. But he will never get the chance to join his classmates as they begin a new school year. Instead, his family and friends are mourning a life cut short so suddenly.Right now, state police are waiting for toxicology tests to come back, but they believe he may have overdosed on the powerful painkiller OxyContin. Investigators say some of the boy's friends told them that Kappelmeier had recently taken OxyContin, a brand of the drug known as OxyCodone. It's a powerful narcotic used to treat ongoing moderate to severe pain. Investigators are now looking into how he got the pills.
What is OxyContin? Click here to read more.
This is a story that's far too common these days. Too often we hear about OxyContin abuse. Just this past weekend, former WWE wrestler Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart was arrested on drug charges in Florida. Authorities say he had OxyContin pills and methadone that were prescribed to someone else when he started causing trouble outside a gas station and was seen swallowing several pills.
There are many more stories of abuse. A Time Magazine article delves into the world of so-called Pill Mills, which are on the rise in South Florida. They're pain-management clinics, a place people come for pills. According to the article, these pill mills are more prevalent than McDonald's restaurants with 115 pain clinics in Broward County alone.
The abuse of OxyContin is widespread. According to the Food and Drug Administration, approximately half a million people ages 12 and older were abusing OxyContin in 2008 alone. It's even more startling when you look at combined data from 2002 to 2005. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 11 million people ages 12 and older used a prescription pain reliever non-medically in the 12 months prior to their survey.
It's prompting the FDA to take a closer look at the problem. Back in April, the FDA announced it approved a new version of Oxycontin that is difficult to cut, crush and dissolve. Manufacturers hope the harder to break pills will lower rates of abuse because the pills can't be inhaled or injected. Oxycontin is a slow-release painkiller, which means patients have to take fewer pills for extended pain relief, but each dose is very strong if not taken properly. That makes it an appealing choice for drug abusers.
What is truly startling is how accessible this powerful medication appears to be. Do a simple search online and you'll find websites where you can order the drug yourself. A 2008 article in the New York Times details the problem of websites advertising or selling drugs like OxyContin by mail without a proper prescription.
Unfortunately, it appears this powerful drug may have claimed another victim. This time, a 13-year-old boy at the prime of his life. The Onondaga Central School District is poised to help students, teachers and staff death with this sudden and tragic death. Superintendent Joseph Rotella tells CNY Central that the school's crisis committee met Sunday and early this morning to determine how best to help students cope. They've added additional counselors to the schools today and are available to sit down with student and faculty.
“It’s a horrific tragedy for the family and the community and certainly a very difficult first day of school,” says Rotella.
Rotella says, even before this happened, the district had been trying to raise awareness about prescription drug abuse by working with the Prevention Network.
Philip Rose from the Prevention Network says there’s a misconception among teens that prescription drugs aren’t as harmful as other drugs. However, he says drugs like OxyContin are extremely powerful, causing addiction, brain damage, and even death. He has a message for all adults.
“Keep these kinds of prescription drugs away from young people unless they’re prescribed by a doctor for a specific purpose,” Rose says. “We have to be vigilant.”
Matthew Kappelmeier leaves behind his parents, two brothers and a sister. He will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
Click this link for funeral arrangements.
You can, also, visit the Prevention Network of CNY website.
Do you think enough is being done to stop the abuse of these prescription drugs? Do you think the FDA's new version of OxyContin will help curb the problem? Do you know anyone who's abused OxyContin or another prescription drug? What do you think should be done to fix the problem of prescription drug abuse? Leave your comments below.
