- noozhawk.com/article/091211_sbrx_prescription_for_abuse_a_noozhawk_special_project/
- noozhawk.com/article/091211_sbrx_usc/
- noozhawk.com/article/091911_sbrx_santa_barbara_teen_news_network/
- noozhawk.com/article/100411_sbrx_loopholes/
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Lara Cooper, Giana Magnoli, Staff
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Sept. 12 through Nov. 11, 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The misuse and abuse of prescription drugs have become an alarming trend in Santa Barbara County. Drug- and alcohol-related deaths nearly doubled in Santa Barbara County between 2005 and 2009, and records from the Coroner’s Office show that it’s no longer unusual to find in decedents’ bodies as many as a dozen different prescription medications, in addition to cocaine, heroin or methamphetamines, and alcohol and marijuana. Noozhawk explored the drugs’ availability and controls (or lack thereof); revealed a lack of regulatory oversight; helped calculate the cost to our community — including the challenge of funding a comprehensive response in an era of severe budget distress; and told the personal stories of some of those whose lives have been caught in the middle. We also wanted to establish for local government, foundations and nonprofit organizations a clear and independently determined baseline of the problem so they could move forward with more effective solutions. Most important, we wanted to educate our community — especially Noozhawk’s core readership, K-12 parents — about dangers, signs and solutions so we can begin to control this quiet epidemic.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
We used a public records request to obtain coroner’s reports detailing prescription drug-related deaths in Santa Barbara County. This was the starting point for our research for the series.
Explain types of human sources used.
Throughout the project, we talked with dozens of sources, including prescription drug addicts, family members, recovery experts, doctors and pharmacists, and law enforcement. We also used our partnership with the Santa Barbara Teen News Network to produce more than three dozen video interviews with sources. As a USC Annenberg School Health Journalism Fellow, we had access to additional professional journalist sources and used them extensively.
Results:
Within minutes of the series’ launch, the parent of an addict contacted us about an established local doctor who allegedly had overprescribed prescription drugs to a reckless degree. Over the course of the series, dozens more sources and witnesses emerged with similar stories about this individual. Several deaths had resulted, and although we were unable to convince any of our sources to go on the record (addicts, parents, physicians, pharmacists, law enforcement), we wrote what we could without naming names and later reported what we had learned to local law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration. On Jan. 4, 2012, Dr. Julio Diaz was arrested and is currently awaiting trial on federal drug charges. An affidavit linked him to 11 patient deaths involving prescription drugs and alleged that he exchanged drugs for sexual favors and prescribed outside the scope of professional practice. We also believe our series has helped raise awareness of the problem, and a local nonprofit group quickly organized a community forum to educate the public about signs of prescription drug abuse. Several of the sources we used for our series were guest speakers at the forum, and Noozhawk was credited for bringing the issue to the forefront.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
We are continuing to follow the trial of Dr. Julio Diaz as it works its way through federal courts. Santa Barbara High School has approached Noozhawk about hosting a parent forum on campus, and a local college is in the process of organizing a larger community event.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
In an era of cutbacks, it’s easy to shy away from more complex stories. Although ambitious, we believe that Noozhawk’s project can be a blueprint for other small news organizations, and we strongly encourage them to use our example to take on the big stories that no one else will touch in their communities. With detailed advance planning, our staff of three full-time reporters and an army of interns carried out the research, reporting and editing — mostly on schedule and with no noticeable negative effect on our daily news responsibilities. In addition, our entire organization was involved to help establish a wide range of collaborative partnerships and to secure sponsorships, which made our project not just informative but profitable. Writing an abstract, what you’d like to accomplish with the stories, and keeping that in mind as your report is key. And with sparse resources, advance planning cannot be overemphasized. We’re happy to share our strategies.