BBUUSSIINNEESSSS .....D1-3, 6CCLLAASSSSIIFFIIEEDD .....F1-12

CCOOMMMMEENNTTAARRYY ..D4-5EENNTTEERRTTAAIINNMMEENNTTB5-6

LLIIFFEESSTTYYLLEE .........E1-8OOBBIITTUUAARRIIEESS ..........B2

RREEGGIIOONN//SSTTAATTEE ..B1-4SSPPOORRTTSS ............C1-8

FREEDOM COMMUNICATIONS INC.© 2009 • Published at Lima, Ohio

A deal with Switzerlandsettling U.S. demands for

the names of suspected taxdodgers has a lot of wealthyAmericans running to their taxadvisers and the IRS. /A3

1Indian Bollywood star

Shah Rukh Khan said hefelt angry and humiliated afterhe was detained at a U.S. air-port, sparking an uproar inIndia among fans. /A2

2Hundreds of holiday

makers struck lucky whenthey chanced upon a mistakein a booking system offering aromantic four-star weekend inVenice for 1 cent.

3Singer George Michael

was arrested after hisLand Rover car collided witha lorry in Britain, but thesinger insisted Saturday hewas “stone cold sober.” /A2

4Stung by international

outrage, Myanmar’s rulinggenerals agreed Saturday tohand an American prisonerinvolved in the trial of Aung SanSuu Kyi to a U.S. senator. /A6

5

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High 92 Low 65PPaaggee AA77

Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009

JAY SOWERS • The Lima News

Natalie Marshall, a pharmaceutical intern at Lima Memorial Health System, counts prescription pills Tuesday in the pharmacy.

Pill-popping problemDoctors deal with more prescription abuse

By HANNAH POTURALSKIhhppoottuurraallsskkii@@lliimmaanneewwss..ccoomm

441199--999933--22009911

LIMA — Addicts are finding cleverways to satisfy their needs, with theabuse of prescription pain relieversrising at an alarming pace.

One common effort is causing grieffor health care providers nationwide.Patients jump around to differentdoctors, often within the emergencydepartment of hospitals, fakinginjuries to get a fix.

“There are patients admitted thatare drug seekers complaining ofexcessive pain that may be real or

manufactured in order to get nar-cotics,” said Mark Recker, director ofpharmacy at Lima Memorial HealthSystem.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforce-ment Administration, 25 percent ofdrug-related emergency departmentvisits are associated with prescriptiondrug abuse. These “nontherapeuticdrug-seekers” often have a substanceabuse disorder.

Dr. William Tucker, medical direc-tor of emergency services at St. Rita’sMedical Center, in Lima, said one wayto tell if someone is a nontherapeutic

Crime spooks Perry

Township puts levyon November ballot

for more copsBy GREG SOWINSKI

ggssoowwiinnsskkii@@lliimmaanneewwss..ccoomm 441199--999933--22009900

PERRY TOWNSHIP — An increase inhome break-ins combined with and a groupof concerned residents is the formulaputting a levy on the November ballot toincrease police patrols.

An increase of break-ins sent a wave offear through the township where 3,700 res-idents live, causing residents to approachtrustees seeking more police protection.

Trustee Frank Lamar said about 80 resi-dents showed up at a recent special meet-ing wanting trustees to do something toprotect them and their homes. Trusteestold them the only option was to come upwith more money to fund more patrols, hesaid.

The majority of people at the meetingagreed, he said.

“Breaking and enterings are our biggestconcern,” Lamar said.

Residents first wanted a full-time depart-ment, but that would be too costly. Themeasure to pay for additional hours of theall-part-time department will be on theNovember ballot. It seeks an additional 2mills for five years. It would cost the ownerof a $100,000 house about $200 more peryear.

The levy would pay the salaries of officersto keep them on the roads longer as well asother operating costs such as fuel, Lamarsaid.

Police Chief Tom Staup said the moneywould not be used to hire more officers,just to increase the hours of existing offi-cers. As it stands, officers work five-hour

Dream cars cruise MichiganAuto enthusiasts worry heyday may be over

By DAVID GRANTTThhee AAssssoocciiaatteedd PPrreessss

ROYAL OAK, Mich. — JackBeller’s blue 1966 Corvette has theclassic big-block engine and theenormous carburetor that makeputting the keys in the ignition aroaring ode to muscle car history.

He and his classic ride have beencoming to Saturday’s WoodwardDream Cruise, billed by its sponsorsas “the world’s largest one-day cel-ebration of car culture,” since itbegan 15 years ago. But this year, as

he sat against his wife Marilyn’sarrest-me-red ’62 Corvette, therewas a depressing realization settingin: There may not be a successor tohis beloved fleet of classic cars.

“This is gone,” said Beller, 68,sweeping his hand across a parkinglot along the cruise’s WoodwardAvenue route, where 100 other clas-sic cars were lined up. “This is goneforever.”

In a year when General Motorsand Chrysler have taken a quicktrip through bankruptcy court andare being supported with taxpayer

dollars, this cruise had participantsfeeling more nostalgic than everabout their vehicles. With GM nowpushing cars like the whispery-quiet electric Volt, destined to get230 mpg, the thundering, fuel-guz-zling beasts that marked America’slove affair with the car are a dwin-dling breed, and a rare sight on theroad.

As the industry turns towardmore fuel-efficient and even electricvehicles, classic car owners worry

Campaign tactics back as Obama presses health carePresident pulls

out familiartools as he

counterspublic

skepticism

By LIZ SIDOTITThhee AAssssoocciiaatteedd PPrreessss

GRAND JUNCTION,Colo. — President BarackObama is using political tac-tics and rhetorical deviceshoned in his White Housecampaign to regain theupper hand in the healthcare debate over increas-ingly vocal critics.

In person and over the

Internet, Obama is trying tocounter intense public skep-ticism that’s flared nation-wide in recent weeks overDemocrats’ plans to over-haul the nation’s healthcare system. It’s his topdomestic priority andarguably his most challeng-

ing political fight yet aspresident, in no small partbecause of the vast numberof diverse stake-holdersinvolved.

Familiar tools from theObama candidacy are beingused in the struggle,adapted to his office: among

them the town hall meet-ings with his sleeves rolledup, a quick-response Website to douse critics’ claims,chain e-mails and a populistpitch against theentrenched powers inWashington.

Plus he’s now got thebully pulpit, which he usedSaturday.

“I know there’s plenty ofreal concern and skepticism

out there,” he said in hisweekly radio and Internetaddress. “I know that in atime of economic upheaval,the idea of change can beunsettling, and I know thatthere are folks who believethat government shouldhave no role at all in solvingour problems.”

Carefully trying not to

INSIDE: Gun complaints trail Obama on parks tour / A3Analysis: Clear up pitches in health fight / A4

• Associated Press

Car enthusiasts enjoy this 1951 Mercury Coupe on displaySaturday during the annual Dream Cruise, which spans a 16-milestretch along Woodward Avenue in suburban Detroit.

See PERRY • A7See DRUGS • A7

See CARS • A7

See OBAMA • A7

COMMON METHODS FOR DRUGS

• Patient must be seen right away• Patient comes in after regular hours• Patient says he/she is from out of town• Patient feigns physical problems (such as back

pain) in order to obtain narcotic drugs• Patient feigns psychological problems (such as

anxiety) in order to obtain stimulants or depressants• Patient says specific non-narcotic painkillers

don’t work or that he’s allergic to them• Patient says he’s unable to get an

appointment with a primary physician• Patient says a prescription has been lost or

stolen and needs to be replaced• Patient pressures the physician by using

sympathy, guilt or direct threats

DDRRUUGG •• from A1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

PPEERRRRYY •• from A1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– CCAARRSS •• from A1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

ALMANAC

Saturday,

AUG. 15, 2009

WWEEAATTHHEERRMOSTLY SUNNY. Hot. Highs in the lower

90s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph becom-ing 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Lows inthe mid-60s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Today’s forecasted conditionshi lo cdtn

Beijing 93 73 clrCairo 90 90 clrDili 90 68 clrHavana 91 73 rnIslamabad 96 84 clrJakarta 90 76 clrLa Paz 60 25 rnLisbon 96 73 clrRome 91 69 clr

NATIONAL EXTREMES

WORLD

hi lo hi lo cdtn hi lo cdtn Anchorage 60 52 62 52 rn 63 51 cdy Atlanta 90 71 87 70 cdy 87 70 cdy Boston 87 66 91 72 clr 91 72 clr Charlotte,N.C. 87 67 88 68 cdy 89 67 cdy Chicago 89 67 85 69 rn 82 67 cdy Dallas-Ft Worth 98 78 98 78 cdy 98 78 clr Denver 82 54 74 56 cdy 73 53 cdy Detroit 86 66 90 66 cdy 86 69 rn Huntsville 91 71 91 70 cdy 86 72 rn Jackson,Miss. 94 73 90 73 cdy 89 73 rn Los Angeles 78 65 79 64 cdy 80 64 cdy Nashville 94 71 92 71 cdy 88 72 cdy New Orleans 90 77 89 77 rn 89 77 rn New York City 88 70 90 70 cdy 91 72 cdy Philadelphia 89 70 90 69 clr 91 69 cdy Phoenix 106 80 107 79 clr 108 79 clr Pittsburgh 87 65 89 65 clr 89 67 cdy Savannah 87 75 89 73 cdy 91 72 cdy Washington,D.C. 89 72 91 69 cdy 92 70 cdy

U.S. TEMPERATURES

YESTERDAY TODAY TOMORROW

National high: 114 at Bullhead City, Ariz. National low: 24 at Stanley, Idaho

HI LO

TODAY’S OHIO FORECAST

WEATHER TRIVIA

TODAY’S LOCAL FORECAST

In July 1995, lightning struck a poultry

barn in Miller City; in the ensuing fire,

68,000 chickens were roasted.

Bellefontaine 85 60Celina 86 61Findlay 89 61Kenton 87 59LIMA 89 61Ottawa 86 58Sidney 86 62Van Wert 86 58Wapakoneta 87 59

/////////

MONDAY

Partlysunny,

40%chanceof rain

HIGH: 89 LOW: 69TUESDAY

Partlysunny,

40%chanceof rain

HIGH: 85 LOW: 65WEDNESDAY

Partlysunny,

30%chanceof rain

HIGH: 85 LOW: 65THURSDAY

Cloudy,30%

chanceof rain

HIGH: 85 LOW: 65TODAY

Sunny,breezy

HIGH: 92 LOW: 65

Low Pressure System In PlainsActive weather is expected in the Plains and Upper Midwest as a low pressure system provides widespread rain and thunderstorms. More showers and thunderstorms are anticipated along the Gulf Coast, while the West remains dry.

Fronts PressureCold Warm Stationary Low High

60s

90s

70s

80s80s

80s

70s70s

70s

60s60s

TODAY’S NATIONAL HIGHS Weather Underground for AP

AT THE RESORTS

Today’s forecasted conditionshi lo cdtn

Atlantic City 88 63 clrJacksonville 91 75 cdyLas Vegas 100 75 clrMiami Beach 91 80 cdyOrlando 92 74 cdyReno 87 49 clrSan Diego 74 65 cdySavannah 89 73 cdyTampa 94 76 rn

YESTERDAY’S AREA TEMPERATURES

Source: accuweahter.com

Today’s high: 89

Record high: 92 in 1991

Today’s low: 60

Record low: 38 in 1953

Precipitation today:None

Precipitation thismonth: 0.12”

Precipitation this year to date: 25.32”

Precipitation last year to date: 32.36”

SUNRISE / SUNSET

TODAY:6:48 a.m. / 8:33 p.m.

MONDAY: 6:49 a.m. / 8:31 p.m.

Weather data collected inPandora as of 6 p.m.

Akron 90 64Cincinnati 90 65Cleveland 90 64Columbus 91 66

Dayton 89 65Lima 92 65Toledo 92 65Youngstown 90 61

////

////

Source: Ray Burkholder, Pandora weather observer

The Lima News Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009 A7

drug-seeker is howacquainted they are withpainkillers.

“They usually will ask fora certain type of medicationor will manipulate the situ-ation to get what theywant,” Recker said.

Tucker said a local studyshowed 52 percent to 70percent of emergency roompatients present some formof pain. Of that number, 20percent cite chronic painproblems. He estimated 4percent of the patients visit-ing the emergency depart-ment fabricate their pain.Large-scale problem

Eric Wonders, spokesmanfor the Ohio Department ofAlcohol and Drug AddictionServices, said the prescrip-tion drug abuse trend beganin 2000.

Garrison Courtney, spo-kesman for the U.S. DrugEnforcement Administra-tion, said prescription painmedicine is the secondmost-abused drug, behindmarijuana.

“With the Internet, roguedoctors and pharmacybreak-ins, it remains anissue,” Courtney said.

Courtney said there arethree main sides of prescrip-tion drug abuse: an activetreatment community, lawenforcement and onlineissues.

To help deal with theonline aspect of obtainingprescription drugs, theRyan Haight Online Phar-macy Consumer ProtectionAct of 2008 passed in Octo-ber 2008. It works towardreducing the number ofrogue Internet pharmaciesselling prescription drugs.

“We are aggressively pur-suing it, but it’s a largeissue and will take time,” hesaid. “All physicians thatprescribe pain medicationsare registered through theDEA, and we work at edu-cating them on aspects ofabuse and trends.”Why the ER?

Dr. Tammy Baker, med-ical director of emergencyservices at Lima MemorialHealth System, said part ofthe problem stems frompeople not having insuranceor Medicaid. That popula-tion often uses the emer-gency department as its pri-mary physician.

“For those with chronicpain issues, there’s no painmanagement center avail-able. There’s no other placeto go but the emergencyroom,” Baker said.

Tucker said chronic painshouldn’t be managed inthe emergency departmentbut often is.

A reason that supports

this, Baker said, is that pri-vate practice doctors don’tfeel comfortable writingprescriptions for narcoticsand painkillers.

Christine Clymer, directorof Lima Memorial Profes-sional Corp., a network of11 primary care doctors,said they don’t come acrossa lot of nontherapeuticdrug-seekers, but it doeshappen.

“If a patient tries to hopfrom doctor to doctor, weinquire why they want totransfer,” Clymer said.“When they realize it’s anetwork of doctors, we maynever see them again.”Tough call for docs

Baker said it’s hard to usediscretion when it comes totreating pain.

“You start to know peopleby heart, but you continueto treat them based on ascreening exam thatinvolves a physical examand questions,” Baker said.“When we examine a per-son, we have to believe theyhave pain because I can’tprove otherwise.”

Tucker and Reckeragreed.

“It’s a difficult thing forthe health care giverbecause either the patientdoes or doesn’t knowthey’re addicted, and youcan’t turn them down,”Recker said. “Do you try tointervene or just give themthe medicine?”

Tucker said federal regu-lations by the Joint Com-mission prohibit the hospi-tal from not treating apatient’s pain.

“We err on the side of cau-tion because of the chanceof not treating genuinepain,” Tucker said.

Tucker said a patient’spain is evaluated throughdiagnostic testing andpatient history.

“We look for objective evi-dence as to why a pain isoccurring and also look atthe behaviors demonstratedby the patient,” Tuckersaid.

Tucker said he’s seenpatients with true problemsbecome overusers, but healso deals with outrightcriminals who fake injuriesto obtain controlled sub-stances. Tucker said there’sa difference between beingaddicted to pain medicationand being a drug addict.

“Your body becomes phys-ically dependent and usedto the drugs; drug-seekersfeign illness to get drugs forrecreational use or resale,”Tucker said.Problem solvers

Tucker said St. Rita’sMedical Center offers evalu-

ations and detoxification byaddiction services topatients perceived as non-therapeutic drug-seekers.

He said rarely do patientstake advantage of the ser-vices offered. Reactionsvary from patients becom-ing angry to sheepishlyadmitting there’s a problembut still declining the ser-vices.

“Once in a blue moon,someone will take the help,”Tucker said. “Once in awhile, we’re wrong, and theperson isn’t addicted.”

Numerous computer pro-grams have been estab-lished in an effort to trackand reduce drug abuse.

At Lima Memorial HealthSystem, there’s a computerprogram that tracks allusage of controlled sub-stances within the phar-macy. Recker said there’slittle problem with employ-ees stealing narcotics, inpart because of an auto-matic dispensing storagedevice that nurses can’taccess without a code.

“It leaves behind a goodpaper trail, and the PandoraSystem that we use graphsinformation by nurse andpatient, so we can see who’sutilizing what and howoften,” Recker said.Tracking drugs

The Ohio Automated RxReporting System, whichbegan in 2006, helps physi-cians and pharmacists regu-late the prescription infor-mation of patients.

Danna Droz, administra-tor of the prescription mon-itoring program, said everytime a prescription for adrug with abusive potentialsuch as oxycodone orhydrocodone is filled, phar-macies are required toreport it to the Ohio StatePharmacy Board.

The program helps iden-tify when a patient has mul-tiple sources to obtain a pre-scription and how manyprescriptions that personhas.

John Pack, owner of PackPharmacy, said the OARRSsystem helps him mostwhen dealing with patientswho’ve learned how to usethe system to visit numer-ous pharmacies.

“It’s a continual struggle,but that doesn’t mean weplay the part of foreverfool,” Pack said. “It’s some-thing you develop over theyears instinctively, and yourecognize symptoms of drugabuse.”

Droz said the programsaves information for up totwo years.

“Physicians tell us thisprogram is the best thing

they’ve ever had access toand they can’t do their jobswithout it,” Droz said.

Programs such as OARRShave been around since1940, and 40 states haveimplemented similar pro-grams. Droz said there are7,500 registered users in theOARRS program, with1,600 physician requestsdaily.

Hospitals and local phar-macies work hand in handat combating nontherapeu-tic drug-seekers. Pack saidthat, when dealing with aquestionable patient, he willcontact the physician toclarify the situation.

“They call me all the timeif they have concerns abouta prescription,” Tuckersaid. “They do a fantasticjob. Recently, a pharmacycalled me because a personpretended to be me.”

When a patient forges aprescription or poses as amedical official over thetelephone, Pack calls theauthorities.

With more than 30 yearsof pharmacy work under hisbelt, Pack said he’s seen alot of different tricks.

“My favorite is, ‘I droppedthe pills in the toilet.’ Someof the stories are veryinventive, entertaining andhave intricate fabrications,and others lack originality,”Pack said.A hopeless effort?

“There’s no quick resolu-tion or ‘easy button’ for thisproblem,” Wonders said.“Collaboration and commu-nication on the national,state and local levels is keyto bringing about positivechange.”

Wonders said the OhioDepartment of Alcohol andDrug Addiction Servicesworks with the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and HumanServices, law enforcementand the Ohio State Phar-macy Board to find an effec-tive response.

Wonders stressed theimportance of parentsteaching children preven-tion techniques.

Sanford Starr, chief ofplanning, outcome andresearch at the OhioDepartment of Alcohol andDrug Addiction Services,said alongside prevention,officials must be preparedfor what’s next to decreasemisuse.

“It doesn’t mean theproblem will ever go away,”Starr said. “It’s the drug dujour, and when it decreasessomething else will take itsplace.”You can comment on thisstory atwww.limaohio.com.

the soul of the cars thatsymbolized personal free-dom, speed, status and sexappeal have been lost. Intheir place, the highwaysare filled with identicalsedans that hum along,one just like the other,none more spectacularthan the next.

For a day, though, Wood-ward Avenue was givenover to the strutting cars ofyesteryear. An estimated40,000 Dream Cruisersslowly drove up and downthe event’s 16-mile stretchin Detroit’s suburbs, clas-sic big-body Cadillacsswimming by with a mur-mur. A fleet of hot rods,engines announcing theirpresence long before theycame into view, roared outof red lights as patrons atlocal bars cheered, sippingbeers mid-morning. Andamid it all, a few strangegems like the original Mon-keeMobile, from a goofy1960s sitcom featuring thepop-rock quartet the Mon-kees, drew smiles from thehundreds of visitors sittingin folding chairs along theroute.

As they cruised, the clas-sic car enthusiasts dis-cussed whether any con-temporary vehicles willreach the iconic status oftheir trusty rides. Sadly,the drivers say, today’s carsjust don’t measure up tothe wonders of old — mak-ing the cruise a bittersweet

journey back to the MotorCity’s golden years.

“They’re bellybuttoncars — everybody’s gotone,” said Bob Patrick, 74,of Warren, while sittingnext to his glossy red 1947Plymouth Special Deluxe.

There are a lot of reasonsthe classic car culture mayfade. While modern ver-sions of muscle cars suchas the Camaro andCorvette retain a good dealof their aesthetic appeal,the design concerns of thecontemporary carmaker —including governmentsafety regulations regard-ing crash readiness and acar’s aerodynamic profile— can lead to visual simi-larity across models.

That makes “everythinglooks like a jellybean.Period,” Beller said.

It also makes identifyinga future generation of clas-sic cars difficult.

While cars known as“tuners” — typically for-eign model cars like whosemystique stems fromsouped-up engines andagile handling — are oftenput forward as heirs to theclassics throne, their skep-tics abound.

“They’ll throw ‘em awayand play with somethingelse. There’s nothing outthere today that anybodywants to save,” said DaveSandow, 62, who wasshowing off his red 1970Chevy El Camino.

OOBBAAMMAA •• from A1––––––––––––––––––––––––––alienate opponents evenwhile taking them on, hecited “legitimate differ-ences worthy of the realdiscussion that Americadeserves.” But as Democ-ratic allies face taunts andinsults at town hall stylegatherings, Obama askedhis audience to “lower ourvoices, listen to oneanother and talk about dif-ferences that really exist.”

In the GOP’s address,Utah Sen. Orrin Hatchpressed for a bipartisansolution.

“Ensuring access toaffordable and qualityhealth care for everyAmerican is not a Republi-can or Democrat issue —it is an American issue,”he said.

He said he also encour-ages a respectful debate,but “there is nothing un-American about disagree-ments. In fact, our greatnation was founded onspeaking our minds.”

Obama seeks legislationthat would provide cover-age for millions of unin-sured people while con-trolling costs. Critics sayproposals in Congresswould spend too much andgive government too big arole.

Conservative activistsand Obama opponentshave stepped up theirattacks in recent weeks— and may be outmaneu-vering a White Houseknown for its organiza-

tional abilities. In campaign mode,

Obama is hosting ques-tion-and-answer sessionsthat proved valuable dur-ing the presidential race.The Democratic NationalCommittee and Obama’sallies are spending mil-lions on advertising cam-paigns to influence publicopinion, much like theydid last year. Associatesare going out to make thecase. The White House isusing Internet tools honedduring his groundbreak-ing bid to rally supporters.

Obama is trying to ener-gize his estimated 13 mil-lion grass-roots supportersthrough his campaignapparatus, called Organiz-ing for America. But thereare indications that thosewho turned out in to helpelect Obama aren’t doingthe same to get a policypassed — evidence of thedifficulty in the transitionfrom campaigning to gov-erning.

In Pittsburgh, Obamaadviser Valerie Jarrett toldliberal bloggers Saturdayat a conference that thepresident can’t accomplishhis goal without them. “Icannot say to you howstrongly we depend uponyou and your outreach andyour network to energizepeople who are on theground, not just for healthcare, but for all the toughissues that are lyingahead,” she said.

shifts. Staup would increasethat to eight hours per shift,he said.

Allen County Sheriff SamCrish, whose office alsopatrols Perry Township,said burglaries are upthroughout the county butby a slightly higher number

in Perry Township. Hedoesn’t know why.

“We really don’t have any-thing to connect it to,”Crish said.

Staup said there was anincrease in burglaries thatbegan in June, but that hasslowed in recent weeks.

Police were getting a couplecalls a week and now aregetting about two a month,he said.

There’s no pattern. Theburglaries have been atnight and during the day, inthe country and in neigh-borhoods, Crish said.

If the levy passes, thesheriff patrols wouldremain, Lamar said.

Perry Township has 12part-time officers includingthe chief, Staup said. You can comment on thisstory atwww.limaohio.com.