The director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics presented a grim picture Wednesday of “just how prolific the drug culture is in Mississippi.”
Col. Steve Maxwell told the McComb Rotary Club that narcotics used to be derived from plants, with marijuana and cocaine being two examples. But now, “Due to science and technology, the products that we see are a whole lot different from what they were when I entered this work.”
These days, synthetic drugs like fentanyl and crystal meth are common, and Maxwell added they are “a whole lot more potent and with a lot more addictive properties.”
Fentanyl in particular has gained a lethal reputation, as just a small amount of it can be fatal. But Maxwell said that’s also part of its appeal.
“It doesn’t scare them because the psychology of the drug user is this: If I know someone is selling what makes someone OD, I’m going to him. He’s got the good stuff.”
He said crystal meth probably remains the most prevalent synthetic drug today because it’s easier to obtain the ingredients to make it. But fentanyl “is fast moving up the charts, and probably will move meth down.”
He compared drug use to an octopus with many tentacles, saying many crimes and social ills can be traced to narcotics.
“We’re dealing with issues in the drug culture today that 20, 30, 40 years ago we’d never even thought of,” he added. “The drug culture is the most significant threat when it comes to public safety in the state of Mississippi.”
Maxwell said the bureau now works with mental health agencies, the Mississippi Department of Health, district attorneys and non-profit organizations to decide what punishment to recommend for drug offenders.
“The majority of people in our drug culture right now are better suited for detox and treatment and recovery” instead of prison, he said.
He said illegal drugs will be sold as long as people make a good profit from it. He also predicted that in 10 or 15 years, the narcotics trade will be completely different.
“It changes so rapidly,” Maxwell said.
Another problem is with the abuse of prescription drugs like opioids. Maxwell said many children begin using opioids by finding them at home. Between 1998 and 2016, he added, the death rate among children from home medication abuse increased by 268%, a more than threefold rise in 18 years.
Maxwell cited other studies on the number of pregnant women or those with very young children who had what he called a “substance abuse disorder.”
“Fast forward 20 years from now,” he said. “Do you not think that those children are going to have a greater propensity for drugs?”
There are some success stories. Along with steering more drug users into treatment instead of prison, Maxwell commended physicians and pharmacies for their help in cracking down on prescription drug abuse.
He noted that opioid prescriptions and “dosage units” have declined since 2015, but drug overdose deaths continue to rise because of lethal concoctions like fentanyl.
Many of people killed by drugs today are not addicts, he said. Instead, they’ve used narcotics laced with too much fentanyl, which causes the overdose.
Maxwell recommended that families store a kit of Narcan at home in case of an accidental opioid overdose. He said parents also should provide Narcan for their children.
As for medical marijuana, Maxwell said he had no problem with the legislative intent to use the products to treat chronically ill patients.
“But just like any program, you’re going to have sinister individuals,” he said. “They’re going to crack the code. I will say this: The program may have the benefit of saving lives,” if marijuana users avoid street purchases for fear that fentanyl is laced into the product.
Maxwell attended the Rotary meeting with Ronnie Frazier, a retired Bureau of Narcotics agent in Pike County; and Maj. Billy Warner, the agency’s southern district commander.
