Teen nabbed with pills stolen from mother

A 17-year-old boy at Riverside High School was cited for having a sandwich baggy with prescription pills he stole from his mother, police said.

The drugs reportedly found on the boy who was not identified because he is a minor,  were Seroquel for bi-polar disorder; Tramadol for pain; Kadian, a powerful narcotic pain killer containing morphine; and Trazadone, an anti-depressant that also can be used as a sleeping aide, police said.

According to police, on Jan. 22 a school counselor walked into the lunch area and saw the student had a sandwich baggy with the pills in it.  Police were contacted, and during the investigation, the student admitted to stealing the drugs from his mother.   The student was also in possession of two knives  while on school grounds.  He will be charged with possession of a controlled substance. 

Bonners Ferry police officer Don Moore, who is assigned to work in Boundary County School District, says prescription drug abuse has become epidemic across the nation, Bonners Ferry included.   The shift to prescriptions drugs is attributed to the fact that they are harder to detect.

People looking for pain pills have waited outside of pharmacies, including Boundary Trading Company’s,  Moore said. They will ask people who have just had a prescription filled - usually the elderly because they are more sympathetic for a few pain pills claiming they are for a family member  who can’t afford medical treatment.  

Moore is concerned about the seriousness of what he calls an epidemic.  He emphasizes that prescriptions are written by doctors for patients with specific medical conditions.  The doctor is familiar with their patient’s medical history and how their body may react to specific medications.  Doctors work with pharmacists when prescribing medication to protect patients from potential harmful side effects.

 When a person takes medications  not prescribed, that person can experience serious side effects.  It is even more dangerous when they mix two or more non-prescribed medications together, and can potentially be fatal.

“People taking medications prescribed to them by a doctor need to guard the medications and keep them in a safe place where they can control them, so they are the only one who can gain access to them,” said Moore.

If someone is in possession of a drug that he has not been prescribed, he can be charged with a felony. 

“This isn’t about punishment,” Moore said. “Our focus is to help people overcome their addiction, and sometimes that means holding them accountable for their actions before they finally realize that they do have a problem.”