pandora Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...NEWS01/60412028 Two Indianapolis men were sentenced to 77 months in federal prison today for their roles in the Internet distribution of the drug dextromethorphan, known as DXM, that led to the overdose deaths of five teenagers in Florida, Washington and Virginia. Federal Judge John D. Tinder issued the sentences at the conclusion of a two-hour hearing at which Jess A. Johnson and Robert R. Denman, who operated the Internet business called Chemical API, both apologized to the families of the victims. Johnson and Denman pleaded guilty in January to three counts of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. They did not face any federal charges in connection with the deaths. In selling the powder, the Indianapolis men noted on their Web site that the form of DXM they were distributing was not intended for human consumption. However, prosecutors said Johnson and Denman knew full well that their customers had bought the chemical for its mind-altering effects. Investigators estimate they made about $70,000 on sales of the drug before their Web site was shut down. The pair will remain free on bond pending the issuance of a formal sentencing order and determination of a federal institution where they will serve the sentence. Denman and Johnson also are the subject of state and local police investigations in Florida, Virginia and Washington, according to a federal prosecutor who said it is too early to tell if they will face any additional charges in the five deaths. On the one hand, I think bastards who distrubute drugs to people they know will use them and don't inform them of how to use them safely should be punished severely, I also think that the kids who were stupid enough to do something like that (OD on DXM, which is pretty damn hard to do) should make people think about what they do to their bodies (not that I am the healthiest person). But it's cruel and unthinkable to blame someone's own death on them post-humously. Am I just not thinking straight here or does anyone see my point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjacksonRIAB Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...NEWS01/60412028 Two Indianapolis men were sentenced to 77 months in federal prison today for their roles in the Internet distribution of the drug dextromethorphan, known as DXM, that led to the overdose deaths of five teenagers in Florida, Washington and Virginia. Federal Judge John D. Tinder issued the sentences at the conclusion of a two-hour hearing at which Jess A. Johnson and Robert R. Denman, who operated the Internet business called Chemical API, both apologized to the families of the victims. Johnson and Denman pleaded guilty in January to three counts of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. They did not face any federal charges in connection with the deaths. In selling the powder, the Indianapolis men noted on their Web site that the form of DXM they were distributing was not intended for human consumption. However, prosecutors said Johnson and Denman knew full well that their customers had bought the chemical for its mind-altering effects. Investigators estimate they made about $70,000 on sales of the drug before their Web site was shut down. The pair will remain free on bond pending the issuance of a formal sentencing order and determination of a federal institution where they will serve the sentence. Denman and Johnson also are the subject of state and local police investigations in Florida, Virginia and Washington, according to a federal prosecutor who said it is too early to tell if they will face any additional charges in the five deaths. On the one hand, I think bastards who distrubute drugs to people they know will use them and don't inform them of how to use them safely should be punished severely, I also think that the kids who were stupid enough to do something like that (OD on DXM, which is pretty damn hard to do) should make people think about what they do to their bodies (not that I am the healthiest person). But it's cruel and unthinkable to blame someone's own death on them post-humously. Am I just not thinking straight here or does anyone see my point? I see your point. There is hardly any way to guarantee identity on the internet. Would they have sold it to kids had they known? That's the important question. If it can be proven, they should be punished, but one must also take into consideration the fact that they are old enough to take responsibility for their own actions to some degree. I find it hard to imagine that they couldn't know the ramifications of doing potentially lethal drugs. They already had access to the internet - they could have easily obtained information on the effects of DXM, besides the fact that they probably should NOT have unfettered internet access for a plethora of other reasons not even related to purchasing drugs. People their age are prime candidates for predators, manipulators, thieves, etc. How were these drugs purchased? Someone "borrowed" mommy and daddy's credit card, no doubt? Do a search on DXM and you'll find more warnings than anything else. The parents are likely also to blame here. That's my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ nivek ♦ Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Tough call pandy. The "kids" were old enough to want to get high and know how to obtain their free marketed chemicals. Gotta figure with all the *nooze about DR?UGZ!!!!!* that the same "kids" would now at some point that too much was enough. I don't know what the pharmacology of the chemical in article is, but will suspect that it took a shitload to stop otherwise healthy young adult systems to death.. Could be, and usually am, a heartless bastard and say that Darwin was bleaching the gene pool... kL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandora Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 DXM is dextromethorphan. That's the stuff in Robitussin that supposedly keeps you from coughing. Most medical professionals don't think it does much to stop coughing at the doses it is given in OTC preparations... The normal dose is 20-40 mg. It has rather interesting effects at really high doses in the 300-2000 mg range. It depends on the person on what these effects are and what dose elicits which response in different people, but in general, DXM has somewhat mild psychedelic effects and very strong dissociative effects. It supposedly gives you the worst hangover, too. I just hate how the prejudice against drugs in our society leads to kids doing stupid shit. They are so caught up in the coolness of their illegal action that they forget about common sense. They don't educate themselves on how to use mind-altering chemicals safely. It's amazing to me that people are that careless, unless they like to play Russion Roulette. If drugs were legal, lethal doses of the stuff would be widely known and the dangers (the true dangers, not what the truth commericals and such want to say the dangers are) would be publisized. It just makes me mad. I guess I tend to side with the guys who owned the website more than the kids, but it isn't the kids fault that the government is retarded either.... The bigger problem is with society and the need for a black market, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxy Methoxy Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 It's so easy to blame the drugs and not the drug users. I hope this doesn't lead to more shut downs of R/C sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandora Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 Me too, Foxy. I wouldn't know what to do then! I love the freedom the internet provides. I can (and have) gotten any prescription drug I needed, and when my pets are sick (if I have a pretty good idea what ails them), I can get their medicine online too. In fact, I just got some amphotericin B online for one of my budgies that is sick. Formulated for birds, too. Expensive, yes... but worth it. No doc's office fees. No waiting around for days for the lab results to comeb back. No dealing with people. Etc... Of course, if little Nemo doesn't get better in a couple days with my diagnosis and treatment, then I will definitely take him to the vet... but not until I try it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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