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SATI e-News: August 1, 2002
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In This
Issue: |
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FDA Approval of
Rx GHB Poses New Challenge for Law Enforcement |
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Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved a formulation of GHB for indication of cataplexy, a rare
disorder that causes unexpected loss of muscle control. An
estimated 20,000 to 50,000 narcoleptics suffer from cataplexy,
according to the Associated Press.
Manufactured by Orphan Medical Inc., the drug will be available by
prescription only, and will be sold under the brand name Xyrem.
The FDA mandated that Orphan distribute Xyrem under strict
controls, whereby the drug will only be available to patients from
a single, specialty pharmacy controlled by Orphan.
GHB is best known as a “rape drug,” after rapists began to use it
in the early 1990s to incapacitate their victims. But it is also
widely used recreationally at bars, “rave” parties and other
social gatherings to lower inhibitions. In addition, athletes are
frequent users, having become addicted after taking the drug as a
steroid alternative.
“Approval of Xyrem will make the jobs of law enforcement much
tougher,” warns Trinka Porrata, a former Los Angeles Police
Department narcotics detective and now a board member of the
non-profit Project GHB (www.projectghb.org). Porrata has long
opposed approval of Xyrem, and she has testified before both
Congress and the FDA as an expert witness.
Besides the diversion of Xyrem for street use, Porrata is also
concerned that law enforcement will face the introduction of Xyrem
prescription and bottles (real or fake) in overcoming possession
charges. “Testing for GHB is already a huge challenge for law
enforcement,” according to Porrata. “The introduction of Xyrem
adds yet another layer of complexity.”
While Xyrem is a Schedule III controlled substance, GHB remains a
Schedule I drug, illegal to possess, transport, manufacture and
distribute. Those who defy the law face stiff penalties, including
prison terms. Abuse of Xyrem will be treated under Schedule I
penalties, according to the Samantha Reid Act.
Sources: Project GHB,
www.projectghb.org.
Project GHB offers a PowerPoint slide show presentation on GHB,
MDMA and ketamine, which is downloadable for a modest donation of
$12. Proceeds benefit Project GHB’s outreach efforts.
“Orphan Medical Announces Approval of Xyrem,”
http://www.orphan.com/articledetail.cfm?aid=4&id=342, July 17,
2002, Orphan Medical.
“FDA Approves ‘Date-Rape’ Drug to Treat Sleep Disorder; GHB First
Medication to Be Sold for Cataplexy,” Associated Press, July 18,
2002.
“Question and Answer FAQ about Xyrem, FDA web site,
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/xyrem/xyrem_qa.htm.
“FDA Approves Xyrem For Cataplexy Attacks in Patients with
Narcolepsy,”
FDA web site,
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2002/ANS01157.html, July
17, 2002.
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California
Attorney General to Appear at San Diego Conference |
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The Honorable Bill Lockyer, California’s Attorney General, will
be on hand to accept the 2003 Visionary Award from SATI and
STOPDV at their third annual conference, to be held in San Diego
April 23-25. Conference organizers Anne O’Dell (STOPDV) and
Joanne Archambault (SATI) announced Lockyer’s acceptance of the
award, at the same time as they released the entire conference
agenda.
Lockyer is being recognized specifically for his successful
initiative to process the backlog of tens of thousands of rape
kits in the state of California. The Attorney General will be
only the second individual to be honored with this distinction.
Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was the recipient of the first
annual Visionary award, which was bestowed at the 2002 SATI/STOPDV
conference.
O’Dell and Archambault also announced a full and exciting agenda
which features 34 experts in sexual assault and domestic
violence from all over the country. Conference details and
agenda are available at
http://www.mysati.com/2003_conference.htm.
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Crime Labs
Suffer From Funding Challenges |
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Houston, Texas
The Houston City Council allocated additional funds for the
upcoming fiscal year to address the abysmal conditions of the
Houston Crime Laboratory, thanks to the persistence of Jennifer
LaCoss who worked at the lab as a Criminalist for the past two
years. LaCoss resigned her position while protesting the
conditions at the laboratory facility. In her letter, which was
copied to the City Council, the Mayor, and the Chief of Police,
LaCoss stated that the condition of the laboratory poses a
hazard to lab staff and jeopardizes the integrity of the lab’s
findings.
The funds from the City will be used to help repair the
building, which suffered structural damage during a massive
tropical storm. Since the storm, the laboratory experienced
serious leaks, risking contamination of forensic and biological
material.
In addition to a $1.5 million federal grant to reduce the DNA
backlog, $600,000 in additional City funding will help Houston
process and outsource some of the backlog of 19,000 rape kits.
At least 1,000 new rape kits are added to Houston’s backlog
every year. Laboratory officials are also working to bring the
salaries of lab personnel, now at 50% of market value, more in
line with comparable positions in the private and public
sectors.
Alabama
Dr. James C. Upshaw Downs, the director of the Alabama
Department of Forensic Sciences, resigned to become medical
examiner in Savannah, Georgia. Downs’ resignation came within
days after he notified law enforcement officials of cutbacks the
department is planning to take October 1 due to a budget
shortage of $2.2 million. The proposed cutbacks include closing
regional labs, reducing staff and discontinuing transporting
bodies to crime labs.
Source: Reprinted with permission from DNA Legislation & News,
published by Smith Alling Lane, a government affairs firm that
provides nationwide governmental affairs services to Applied
Biosystems:
http://docs.appliedbiosystems.com/hid.taf
Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, the state Forensics Laboratory has announced it
will no longer analyze DNA samples or provide expert testimony
in rape and murder cases, due to budget cuts enacted by the
General Assembly. A spending cut of about $2 million is causing
the Department of Health to reduce workload at the Forensics
Laboratory and reassign three of its five scientists. Lawmakers
specifically cut $100,000 from the lab.
Source: Reprinted with permission from DNA Legislation & News,
published by Smith Alling Lane,
http://docs.appliedbiosystems.com/hid.taf
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LAPD
Mistakenly Destroys 1,100 Rape Kits |
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The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) claims lack of training
is responsible for the mistaken destruction of forensic evidence
in as many as 1,100 rape cases in which prosecution was
feasible, according to the Los Angeles Times. The LA Times
further reports that the detectives who ordered the disposal of
the rape kits were unaware that the California state legislature
rewrote the statute of limitations in 2001. The statute of
limitations in cases of sexual assault, was increased from six
years to ten years and effectively eliminated in cases where a
DNA profile is obtained.
The LAPD admitted the mistaken disposal of the rape kits only
recently after a four-month dispute between the LAPD and the
District Attorney’s Forensic Science Director who charged that
evidence in as many as 4,000 sexual assault cases in LA County
may have been lost or destroyed by law enforcement. County law
enforcement officials advised the City Council that their count
of the discarded rape kits continues.
Sources:
“LAPD Says Evidence Destroyed,” Los Angeles Times, July 30,
2002.
“LAPD Blames Faulty Training in DNA Snafu,” Los Angeles Times,
July 31, 2002.
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Coordinated Community Response Well-Received By Sexual Assault
Survivors |
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Sexual Assault victims in San Diego are well-served by its
Sexual Assault Response (SART) Team, according to a confidential
survey of sexual assault victims/survivors who received services
in the county in 2000 and 2001.
The county knew they had made significant improvements, such as
cutting down on response times by hours for sexual assault
victims to be evaluated at the hospital and interviewed by the
police. But they did not know how the victims perceived their
efforts.
The surveys were distributed to 916 victims after their sexual
assault examinations. Forensic examiners provided the survey to
victims upon discharge from the hospital, and a pre-addressed
stamped envelope was included to return the completed survey. A
total of 184 surveys were completed and returned, for a response
rate of 20.31%.
The survey results show that victims are very satisfied with the
services they received from the advocates, Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiners (SANEs), police officers and detectives (this survey
assessed the role of first responders only; a separate survey is
being designed to evaluate victims’ perceptions of their
interactions with the district attorney’s office).
SANE’s received the highest rating with 93% of the survivors
rating their services as excellent. 87% of the survivors rated
the services provided by the community based advocate as
excellent to good, and 85 % reported the services provided by
the police officers and detectives as excellent to good.
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In their comments, the survivors expressed gratitude for the
speed, efficiency and compassion of the SART professionals:
They went beyond the call of
duty. I’m deeply grateful.”
“I can’t say that any of this was a pleasant experience,
but the way everything was handled was comfortable for me.”
“I received swift appropriate response from the time I
called 911 to the time I was released. Everyone Involved did
an excellent job of making me feel safe and well treated.”
San Diego’s SART team has been in
operation since 1991, and holds monthly Systems Review Committee
meetings, which are coordinated by Emergency Medical Services.
Advocacy services in San Diego county are provided by the Center
for Community Solutions, EYE Counseling and Crisis Services and
the Women’s Resource Center, North County. VillaView Hospital,
Childen’s Hospital and Palomar Pomerado Health System provide
forensic nursing services. Please contact Joanne Archambault at
joanne@mysati.com for a copy of the complete survey.
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San Diego
Police Department Uses Web Site to Help Increase Reporting of
Sexual Assault |
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It has long been the goal of the San Diego Police Department (SDPD)
Sex Crimes Unit to increase reporting of sexual assault, by far
the least reported violent crime in any jurisdiction. To help
achieve this goal, the department is utilizing the
SDPD web site to answer some of the questions known to
prevent victims from coming forward.
The site explains the rights of the sexual assault victim in San
Diego County, including confidentiality as well as the right to
revoke his or her testimony at any time, with the exception of
domestic violence. The victim is also assured of the right to an
advocate, and cites the California penal code that assures that
right.
The SDPD hopes that by providing this information in an
accessible and anonymous setting, survivors will feel safe to
explore their options, and that it may encourage many to report
their crimes to police.
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Upcoming Conferences |
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Sept 24-28, San Diego, CA
International Conference on Family Violence
Phone 858/623-2777 ext. 427 or
fvconf@alliant.edu.
October 9-13, Minneapolis, MN
International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), 10th
Annual Scientific Assembly
Register online at
http://www.iafn.org/events/02conf/ or contact Kim Marrero at
phone 856/256-2425 or iafn@ajj.com.
November 7-8, New Orleans
Training in state-of-the-art sexual assault and domestic
violence investigation.
Joanne Archambault of Sexual Assault Training & Investigations
(SATI) and Anne O’Dell of Specialized Training on Preventing
Domestic Violence (STOPDV).
Registration $150 per person, seating limited to 200. More
details and registration form at
http://www.mysati.com/reg_la_11_2002.htm or email Anne
O’Dell at anne2215@aol.com.
For a list of other upcoming events,
please contact
joanne@mysati.com or visit our
Training Schedule.
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