An Ohio police chief has died after allegedly overdosing on drugs taken from the department’s evidence room. Former Kirkersville, Ohio Police Chief James Hughes Jr was found unresponsive in his home in May, according to local reports. Syringes containing fentanyl and a plastic bag with traces of cocaine were reportedly found at the scene. An autopsy later concluded the 35-year-old had died of a fentanyl overdose. Recommended Child opioid overdoses nearly double in America Officers from the neighbouring Reynoldsburg Police Department said this week that it appeared Mr Hughes had taken the drugs from his department’s evidence room. "There was packaging that indicated that he was taking controlled substances from there," Lieutenant Ron Wright said, according to the Newark Advocate. Mr Wright said detectives had found materials from the evidence room in Mr Hughes’ home, along with packages of fentanyl, heroin, and LSD, according to a local NBC affiliate. The packages all came from the police station. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin Show all 14 1 /14 Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin Heroin – the chemical name for which is diacetylmorphine – was originally synthesized by British chemist C.R.Alder Wright (pictured overleaf) in 1874, by adding two acetyl groups to the molecule morphine, which is naturally found in the opium poppy. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin Bayer, the German pharmaceutical company behind Alka-Seltzer and Aspirin, bought the rights to diacetylmorphine, marketing it under the name “Heroin” in 1895 because early testers said that it made them feel “heroisch” or “heroic”. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin By 1898, it was ready for mass marketing. It was originally sold as an over-the-counter cough suppressant that didn’t have problematic side effects, like addiction (the irony) - while alternative treatments morphine and codeine did. This was before they realised that, when taken into the body, it actually converts into morphine, and is ferociously addictive. Thus defeating the object and defining what was to become a historically embarrassing moment for the company in later years. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin By 1899 Bayer was producing a ton of Heroin and exporting the drug to 23 countries, while free samples sent to doctors and studies appeared in medical journals. It was also around this time that early reports of addiction began to surface. The company wisely released Aspirin this year, which would go on to become one of the most popular and widely used pain relief drugs in the world. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin US medicines containing heroin were available over the counter from 1907, after the American Medical Association gave it its stamp of approval. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin As Heroin dependency became a torrent and overdoses began to be reported, Heroin was made illegal to obtain without a prescription from a doctor in the US in 1914. Bayer lost some of its trademark rights to Heroin and Aspirin under the Treaty Of Versailles in 1919, after the German defeat in World War I. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin In the early 1920s, a number of addicted users in New York supported themselves by collecting and selling scrap metal retrieved from industrial dumps. It was from this that the label “junkies” was born. The behavior of Heroin addicts was soon, however, to cause a concern to the public and the authorities. In 1924, it became completely illegal, and doctors were told they could no longer prescribe the drug. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin By this point, Heroin had become popular among creative industries. Pictured left is famed actress Jeanne Eagels, who died of a Heroin overdose in 1929. Its outlawed use had pushed manufacturers underground, and the purity of the product illegal traders now used varied in quality. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin In the UK, the Rolleston Committee Report in 1926, illegal Heroin dealers were prosecuted, but doctors could prescribe diacetylmorphine to users when they were withdrawing from it, if it would cause harm or severe distress to the patient to go without it. This would be the law until 1959 when the number of diacetylmorphine addicts doubled every 16 months between 1959 and 1968. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin The Brain Committee recommended that only selected, specially approved doctors at specialized centres were allowed to prescribe diacetylmorphine to users in 1964. The law was further restricted in 1968, and by the 1970s, the emphasis shifted to encouraging abstinence and the use of substitute methadone. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin In the 1980s, the UK experienced a surge in Heroin supply because of a sudden cheap influx from Pakistan (the main supplier had been – and is now – Afghanistan). Cues from popular culture – and a social downtown caused by the economic and industrial crisis in the late 1970s – created the perfect environment for the Trainspotting generation. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin In the 1990s, Heroin use was again popularized by the rise of grunge and Britpop, while the emergence of ‘the waif’ in fashion, of which Kate Moss is often cited as the originator, would give rise to the term ‘Heroin chic’. In 1994, the Swiss began to trial a diamorphine maintenance program for users who had failed multiple withdrawal programs. It aimed to maintain the health of the user, by discouraging the use of illicit street Heroin. It was deemed a success. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin Today, the largest producer of opium, needed to create Heroin is Afghanistan. This is closely followed by Mexico, who increased their rate of production sixfold between 2007 and 2011. Diacetylmorphine is a controlled, Class A substance in the UK, but continues to be used in palliative care for the treatment of acute pain, such as in severe physical trauma, post-surgical and chronic pain, as well as relieving sufferers of terminal illnesses. Drug addiction, overdoses, and a very brief history of Heroin Key figures continue to campaign for greater sympathies and better treatment of Heroin addicts as they attempt to rehabilitate themselves and re-enter society. Russell Brand’s Give it Up Fund, run in conjunction with Comic Relief, aims to provide financial aid to help people remain free from substance abuse by setting up support groups. "It's integral that people entering a life of abstinence after the chaos of addiction have stability, support and a role to play in the wider community," he said. Mr Wright said his department was still investigating the incident, but would likely contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office when they finished their probe. "There appeared to be some practices happening out there that probably someone from the state AG's office should probably look into," he said. The Kirkersville Police Department did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment. Mr Hughes worked part-time at the largely volunteer department in Kirkersville – a 535-person town located some 25 miles east of Columbus. He had served as police chief for little more than two months before his death, but had already stoked controversy in the area. ✕ Police toss a coin to decide whether to arrest woman for speeding Shortly after his hiring, the Advocate uncovered Mr Hughes’ checked employment history, including a 14-month stint at the nearby Fairfield County Sheriff's Office, where he was the subject of at least three internal investigations. One of the investigations reportedly began when Mr Hughes was charged with disorderly conduct while intoxicated for allegedly yelling expletives at a fast-food restaurant employee. He ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanour disorderly conduct. Mr Hughes’ hiring came at a time of immense upheaval for Kirkersville, which has seen three police chiefs in the last 14 months. Mr Hughes replaced former Police Chief Jeff Finley, who quit after five months on the job, citing a hostile work environment caused by the village mayor. His predecessor was Chief Eric DiSario, who was killed in the line of duty last May. Many of the town’s residents lobbied heavily for the two-person police department to continue after Mr DiSario’s death. "In communities like this, it’s good to have the local presence,” resident Nattie Groves told local radio station WOSU at the time, “because they get to know the people in the community and the community gets to know the law enforcement officers, so you really have that small-town Mayberry feel."<doc-sep>A 35-year-old police chief from Ohio has died from an overdose after allegedly taking drugs from his department's evidence room. James Hughes, who was the Kirkersville Police Chief, was found dead in his Reynoldsburg home bathroom in May. An investigation by the Reynoldsburg police department revealed the drugs may have been evidence from other cases. Lt. Ron Wright, of Reynoldsburg police, said Hughes had taken the drugs from the evidence room. "There was packaging that indicated that he was taking controlled substances from there," Wright said, according to the Newark Advocate. Police recovered two syringes from the scene—one empty and one containing fentanyl, a painkiller. The autopsy report ruled Hughes died of acute intoxication of fentanyl. There was also a small plastic bag at the scene which contained traces of cocaine. If it is proved that Hughes took the drugs from his own evidence room, no one would be charged with his death. Wright said he will hand the case to the Ohio Attorney General's Office once it closed in the next few weeks. "It's kind of gone beyond our level. You're talking about another agency's property room. We think the state should probably intervene. There appeared to be some practices happening out there that probably someone from the state AG's office should probably look into." According to NBC4i, Hughes was appointed police chief in March to replace Jeff Finley, who left because of hostile work environment and differences with the Kirkersville Mayor, Terry Ashcraft. Hughes was working 20 hours a week for $14 an hour. He was about to have his workload increased to 32 hours. The Kirkersville Council paid $1,500 towards Hughes' funeral. The Newark Advocate revealed that Hughes had a misdemeanor conviction on his record from 2013 when he used a racial slur during an incident at a fast food restaurant. In May, police in Florida arrested the parents of an 8-month old baby after the infant died of an overdose of fentanyl and cocaine. David Williams Chappele Jr, 29, and 27-year-old Jessica Marie Strickland have been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child following the death of the baby on September 6, 2017. Officers from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office were called to an address in Cocoa, Florida, following reports of an unresponsive 8-month old baby. The child was taken to hospital, where it was later pronounced dead. During the investigation, it was found that Chappele and Strickland had placed a mattress on the floor so they could sleep with the baby between them. It is alleged that Chappele was wearing multiple fentanyl patches at the time, which were cut in half, and a lethal amount of fentanyl residue was then transferred to the baby. The child is also believed to have ingested cocaine at the house as Strickland was using the drug while caring for the infant, the department said.<doc-sep>
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – An Ohio police chief who died of a fentanyl overdose allegedly took the drugs from his department's evidence room, authorities say. Kirkersville Police Chief James Hughes Jr., 35, was found unresponsive in the bathroom of his Reynoldsburg home on May 25. He was pronounced dead a short time later. Reynoldsburg Police Department Lt. Ron Wright said the department is still investigating, but evidence shows the drugs were possibly evidence in other cases. Wright said it appears Hughes took the drugs himself from the evidence room. "There was packaging that indicated that he was taking controlled substances from there," he said. More:Autopsy: Ohio police chief died of fentanyl overdose More:Surgeon General: More should carry antidote to counter opioid overdoses An autopsy was conducted by the Franklin County Coroner's Office and results released July 13 indicated Hughes died of an "acute intoxication by fentanyl." Records from the coroner's office indicate two syringes were recovered and tested for the presence of substances which may have contributed to Hughes' death. One syringe had no drugs in it, the other was positive for fentanyl. A plastic sandwich bag found at the scene tested positive for cocaine and a third syringe containing a liquid was determined to be positive for fentanyl. Hughes was named police chief on March 13 during a two-minute special village council meeting. His hiring came less than a week after the prior chief, Jeff Finley, had unexpectedly resigned, citing irreconcilable differences with Kirkersville Mayor Terry Ashcraft. Prior to Hughes' death, the village had been planning to increase his weekly schedule from 20 hours to 32 hours. He was making $14 an hour at the time of his death. Hughes' checkered history was discovered by The Advocate after his hiring in Kirkersville. The mayor and village council members were reluctant or declined to answer any questions about that history, which included a misdemeanor conviction in Whitehall for disorderly conduct for a 2013 incident at a fast food restaurant drive-thru in which Hughes used a racial slur. The village has not yet named a replacement for Hughes. In June, the village council agreed to provide Hughes' family with $1,500 to help cover the costs of his funeral. The council was scheduled to meet Wednesday evening. If the drugs were taken from the property room, no one sold the drugs to Hughes and therefore there is no one for Reynoldsburg police to charge in Hughes' death, Wright said. Wright said when the Reynoldsburg department closes the case within the next two weeks, he plans to contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office. "It's kind of gone beyond our level. You're talking about another agency's property room," he said. "We think the state should probably intervene." If the attorney general's office takes the case, Wright said he believes a state-level investigator would be assigned to examine the practices and procedures of the Kirkersville Police Department. Wright said he is not an evidence room expert, but there are proper procedures to use when maintaining an evidence room. "There appeared to be some practices happening out there that probably someone from the state AG's office should probably look into," he said. Wright said this case shows no one is immune from the heroin epidemic that is impacting so much of Ohio and other parts of the country. "It's happening at all different levels and walks of life," he said. Follow Maria DeVito on Twitter: @MariaDeVito13