'Pharm Parties' Leading Some Western Massachusetts Teens to Misuse of Prescription Drugs

Ludlow, MA
Michael J. Dias was born on Oct. 18, 1989, but instead of celebrating his birthday, his family in Ludlow now mourns his death.

Dias committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in May 2009.

The fall into the lure of drugs for tens of thousands of young people across Western Massachusetts begins as early as middle school and most likely by high school when they begin using and abusing pharmaceutical drugs – oxycodone, hydrocodone, Percocet, and Ritalin, police and medical experts say.

“The statistics are pretty scary. The number of middle schoolers who have tried oxycodone or hydrocodone-type prescription medications is fairly alarming, but in high school it’s become an epidemic,” said Dr. Louis Durkin, emergency room medical director at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield.

Pharmaceutical drugs are highly addictive, hooking students not only on the medication but also the dealer. In high school, when the supplier graduates, students left behind are forced to find another source. Very often this pursuit of drugs takes a dangerous turn into the city. The young drug users are now forced to buy from drug dealers in metropolitan areas, like Springfield and Holyoke, where law enforcement officers say the suburban kids can wind up being in over their heads.

Safe Havens, International