SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - More Potent Than Morphine Suffolk Seeks Ban On U-47700

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

We all know about the horrors of heroin and the addictive pain-killing drug oxycodone—but what about U-47700?

The Suffolk County Legislature has just passed a measure describing the drug U-47700 as “eight times more potent than morphine” and linked to 50 deaths in the U.S. since December of last year and prohibiting “the sale, possession with the intent to sell and distribution of U-47700 and similar chemicals” in Suffolk. 

The author of the bill is Legislator Steve Stern of Dix Hills who has been crusading for action on what he terms the “drug epidemic in Suffolk County.” 

The district of Mr. Stern, a Dix Hills attorney, abuts Commack Road in the Town of Smithtown. It includes that portion of Commack which is located in the Town of Huntington.  

His measure was passed unanimously by the legislature on October 5 and has gone to County Executive Steve Bellone for his consideration.

Mr. Stern notes that U-47700 was developed as an alternative to morphine but was never marketed when it was determined that it was eight times more potent than morphine.

Nevertheless, the composition of U-47700 and other synthetic opioids, and ways of making them, have become available from information in their patents and articles about them in  scientific journals and are being produced overseas. China is a major source of U-47700

When I Googled the words “U-47700 sale” last week, numerous websites came up—the first boasting: “Buy highest quality U-47700 for sale online.” The seller is an entity that describes itself as “one of the biggest chemical suppliers in China.” This stuff is widely available online!

U-47700 is highly addictive and was linked to the death in April of the performer Prince. U-47700 was found in his body along with another opioid, fentanyl.

U-47700 is “particularly lethal,” says Mr. Stern, because it is “resistant” to treatment with Narcan, used to revive drug users who overdose.

It can be smoked, snorted or taken orally and can cause respiratory depression, coma, permanent brain damage and death. 

It has been banned in several states of the U.S., among them Georgia, Ohio, Kansas and Wyoming, and, in Europe, prohibited in Sweden.

“We must do everything in our power to protect our young people from synthetic opioids like U-47700 that we know lead to addiction, serious health effects, graduation to heroin and potential death,” said Mr. Stern after the passage of his measure.

The U in U-47700 is for Upjohn, the pharmaceutical manufacturer that developed it. Upjohn was “searching for a novel painkilling drug, the holy grail of analgesics,” says Dr. Barry K. Logan, executive director of the Center for Forensic Scientific Research & Education in 

in Pennsylvania, about U-4770 in one article on the Internet. 

Upjohn two decades ago merged with Pharmcia which subsequently merged with Monsanto. Then Monsanto was purchased last month by the German company Bayer in a $66 billion deal. The combined company would be the corporate global giant dominating pesticides, seeds and pharmaceuticals.

For little Suffolk County (relatively) with its population of 1.5 million to take on U-47700 considering it has become a worldwide menace is something that is not new for the county.

In 2003, for example, Suffolk instituted the first ban in the United States of ephedra, a dietary supplement linked to deaths in the U.S. Then Suffolk Legislator John Cooper of Lloyd Harbor took on ephedra after a 20-year-old man in his legislative district died from ephedra.

It was not easy governmental sledding. Ephedra had its promoters. Mr. Cooper said as then County Executive Robert Gaffney signed the measure into law: “The industry lobbyists don’t want people to know this but the simple fact is that ephedra kills. With the signing of law of Suffolk County’s landmark ban, the handwriting is on the wall. The days of ephedra are numbered.”

And they were. The next year the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—which through the years has often failed, along with other U.S. regulatory agencies, to move against many poisons—followed Suffolk and banned ephedra nationally. (One of the books I have written focuses on this governmental failure through the years.) The New York Times described the action by the Suffolk Legislature against ephedra as “upholding its reputation for trendsetting.”

 U-47700 is a more complex issue because it is one of many synthetic opioid drugs that have been concocted and have been coming into the United States and elsewhere around the world. But Suffolk has begun doing its part. 

Mr. Stern’s bill opens by bluntly declaring that “the county of Suffolk is in the midst of an opiate addiction crisis.” 

As with ephedra, Suffolk’s legislation to ban U-47700 “and similar chemicals” must be adopted and implemented widely.

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books.

St. James Elementary Students Pledge To Stay Drug-Free

Pledging to scare away drugs

St. James Elementary School in the Smithtown Central School District created scarecrows as part of Red Ribbon Week and signed pledges to stay drug-free. As part of Red Ribbon Week and its Halloween celebrations, each class at St. James Elementary School in the Smithtown Central School District designed their own scarecrows. 

Each class stuffed and decorated their scarecrows, which all tied into different grade-level themes. Students and staff each completed a pledge to make healthy choices and scare away drugs. After signing the pledge and pinning it to their class scarecrow, the life-sized creations were staked into the ground in front of the building and will remain through the Halloween season. 

St. James Elementary School in the Smithtown Central School District created scarecrows as part of Red Ribbon Week and signed pledges to stay drug-free. 

Photo courtesy of Smithtown Central School District

Boy Scouts From Commack, Hauppauge, Kings Park And Hauppauge Learn Scouting Skills

MATINECOCK DISTRICT (B.S.A.) HOSTS WEBELOS SCOUTS AT WEBELOS WOODS CAMPOUT AND SKILLS EVENT (click on photos to enlarge)

By Phyllis Stein

To help whet the appetites of the Webelos Scouts as they learn about what to expect when entering their local Boy Scout Troop next year, the Matinecock District (Boy Scouts of America), held its 17^th annual Webelos Woods event, as 22 Cub Scout Packs and 23 Boy Scout Troops from the Commack, Kings Park, and Hauppauge areas of Smithtown Township and from the entire Town of Huntington attended the weekend (Oct. 21^st – 23^rd, 2016) at Cathedral Pines County Park in Middle Island for an overnight camping trip. 

           Saturday’s events had the 4th and 5th grade Webelos Scouts participating in instructions at various skill events and competitions.  Scoutcraft knowledge and how-to’s were explained and demonstrated by Boy Scouts Troops in the Matinecock District; thirteen Scouting skills stations were held (i.e. First Aid, Cooking, Knots & Lashings, Engineering, Fire Building, Map & Compass, Archery, Camp Gadgets, and Team Building games).  The winner of the “made at the campsite” dessert contest went to Cub Scout Pack 379 (Northport) won the bake off  for their Black Forest cake.

The Cub Scout Packs that participated in this event were: Smithtown/Hauppauge’s Pack 328; East Northport’s Pack 5, Pack 312,  Pack 238, and Pack 52; Huntington’s Pack 66, Pack 178, Pack 310, and Pack 181; Greenlawn’s Pack 225 and Pack 877; Elwood’s  Pack 471; Commack’s Pack 125, Pack 329, and Pack 403; Melville’s Pack 406 and Pack 22; Northport’s, Pack 400, Pack 379, and Pack 42;  Kings Park’s Pack 75; and Dix Hills’ Pack 457.      

Thanks go to the Boy Scout Troops for sharing their expertise and joining us for this weekend: East Northport’s Troop 8, Troop 5, and Troop 52; Elwood’s Troop 200 and Troop 174; Commack’s Troop125, Troop 322, and Troop 403; Kings Park’s Troop 539 and Troop 75; Huntington’s Troop 78, Troop 12 and Troop 360;  South Huntington’s Troop 106 and Troop 218; Dix Hills’ Troop 309 and Troop 409;   Melville’s Troop 406;   Greenlawn’s Troop 32; Northport’s Troop 41 and Troop 410;  Centerport’s Troop 113 and Huntington Station’s  Troop 34.

        “Fun was had by all of the 915 Webelos and Boy Scouts and their parents and adult scouting volunteer leaders who came out in the rain and made the 2016 Webelos Woods such a successful event!” said Matinecock District Webelos Woods Coordinator Scott Dammers.

At the Map and Compass (Orienteering) Event during the Matinecock District (Boy Scouts of America)’s 17^th   annual Webelos Woods event at Cathedral Pines County Park (Middle Island), Webelos Scouts of Cub Scout Pack 877 (East Northport)  get instruction on how to read a compass from Troop 125 (Commack) Boy Scouts. The Webelos Scouts were given instructions on how to read take a compass reading in addition to learning how reading a compass and map for Orienteering scouting skills. Troop 125’s Tyler E. (holding oversize compass) and David M. explains how to read a compass using a giant demonstration form (“put the red arrow in the red line to find magnetic north”) to Pack 877’s (left to right) William W, Thomas F, Aidan S, Peter H, and Brendon O. 

—Monkey Bridge –– At the Matinecock District (Boy Scouts of America)’s 17^th  annual Webelos Woods event at Cathedral Pines County Park (Middle Island) Webelos Scout Alex H. of Pack 379 (Kings Park)  makes his way across the Monkey Bridge as Boy Scouts  James O’C and Dean C of Troop 75 (Kings Park) “spot” him as part of the safety procedures. 

—Firebuilding –– At the Matinecock District (Boy Scouts of America)’s 17^th  annual Webelos Woods event at Cathedral Pines County Park (Middle Island),  Webelos Scouts used  “fire by friction”  and “flint and steel” as an alternative method to create a spark and light the fire as demonstrated by Boy Scouts.  Boy Scut Troop 343 (Huntington) with their demo/display of the various types of fire lays needed for cooking meals when camping – the leanto, tipi, and log cabin – which they will need in the future as they go camping and need to cook their meals.  The demo items were used to start the troop’s dinner cooking-fires that evening.  (left to right) Paul S., Vincent S, James B, and James R. 

—  Knots — At the Matinecock District (Boy Scouts of America)’s 17^th  annual Webelos Woods event at Cathedral Pines County Park (Middle Island),  Webelos Scouts used  Webelos Scouts were able to learn about various Boy Scouting skills.  At Troop 174 (Elwood)’s Knots station, Cub Scout Pack 403 (Commack)’s Webelos Scouts (left to right) Kieran W. and Will B. and. gets an assist from Boy Scouts Keith M. and Patrick S. as they create keychains (aka knot tying) with the cobra stitch knot. 

 – soap bar carving station —At the Matinecock District (Boy Scouts of America)’s 17^th  annual Webelos Woods event at Cathedral Pines County Park (Middle Island),  Webelos Scouts learn the proper use and care of pocket knives at the Whit’lin Chit station, hosted by Troop 52 (East Northport).  Boy Scout Matthew B. assists and gives directions on how to carve a bar of soap (as part of the proper use of a scout knife) to Webelos Scouts (left to right) Henry S. and Vance S. of Cub Scout Pack 877 (East Northport)

DA Spota Urging Victims To Come Forward As Day Camp Employee Indicted 112 Counts

Day Camp employee charged in 112 counts of denovo indictment alleging sex crimes and the possession of child pornography 

 

        A 34-year-old Oakdale man pleaded not guilty yesterday in Suffolk County court to an indictment alleging he used an 11 year old boy Keith Meynin sexual performances and also possessed a massive collection of child pornography featuring young boys less than 16 years of age. The defendant, Keith Meyn, who is believed to have been employed at Camp Kenwal in Melville as a group leader, camp counselor and most recently as the Director of Maintenance Operations, appears to have participated in illegal activity involving children for over a decade, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.  

 

Judge Barbara Kahn set cash bail for Keith Meyn of Oakdale, at $250,000 cash or $500,000  bond on the 112 count indictment.

 

District Attorney Spota said the investigation has found Meyn was previously associated with a film company, Psych Ward films, and modeling agencies Camden Enterprises and StoneAge Enterprise.  “The defendant participated in disturbing photography and videography featuring young boys,” DA Spota said.

 

“We believe there are more victims of this predator out there and we are asking them to come forward, even if the crimes happened years ago,” DA Spota said.  “In some cases, depending on the facts, a prosecution may still be possible, and all of the information we can gather will be helpful to the investigation.”   Victims and others with knowledge helpful to the investigation are urged to call the Suffolk County Police Department Computer Crimes Unit at (631) 852-6279.  All calls are confidential. 

 

The indictment unsealed today charged this defendant with three counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, three counts of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance as a Sexually Motivated Felony, three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and 100 counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child.  If convicted of all charges, Meyn faces 50 years incarceration in a state correctional facility, District Attorney Spota said. 

 

 

Police Officers Rescue Golden Doodle From Cesspool In Kings Park

Suffolk County Police officers rescued a male 6-year-old Golden Doodle from an abandoned cesspool in Kings Park last night.

Boris Avezov was outside of Superior Ice Rink, located at 270 Indian Head Road walking with his dog Poofa at approximately 7:30 p.m. when the dog pulled his leash away from his owner to chase a rabbit.  Poofa then fell into a 16-foot abandoned cesspool located behind the ice skating rink where he remained for approximately an hour as officers from Emergency Service Section worked to free him. 

Emergency Service Section officers Tom Russo, Officer Mike Cocia and Officer Lance Prager were lowered into the cesspool using a mechanical pulley system. The officers were then able to adapt a sked, a piece of equipment normally used to rescue people, to save the dog. Emergency Service Section Officers Glen Baillargeon, Gerry Sheridan and Mike Simpson were also involved in the rescue. 

Poofa and the officers were not harmed. Avezov, of Bellmore, was waiting for his children who were ice skating at the rink.