Illicit Drugs in the Age of the Internet

Transcription

1 Surfing for Smack: Illicit Drugs in the Age of the Internet Laura A. Markley, MD Board-Certified in Pediatrics/ General Psychiatry/ Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Medical Director, Consultation/ Liaison Psychiatry & Community Pediatrics Liaison Akron Children's Hospital; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, NEOMED

2 About Akron Children s Ranked a Best Children s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report 10 th largest children s hospital in country* Magnet Recognition for Nursing Excellence Largest pediatric provider in NE Ohio 2 hospital campuses 23+ primary care locations 60+ specialty location 4,700+ employees 700+ medical staff *Source: 2013 Becker's Hospital Review

3 Objectives: Identify that any substance can be obtained from the Internet. Describe the digital distribution of drugs and how it has widened accessibility to illicit substances. Discuss some of the websites and servers that have amplified this sales trend, as well as desensitized teens to the potential dangers of these drugs.

4 Easy Access- Surface Web Most general search engines give one access to only about 1% of the entirety of Cyberspace. Substances that are regulated by individual states but not the Federal government are generally easy to access via the mainstream Web. If one has a gift card or credit card and a mailing address, you can order these substances with ease.

5 Easy Access- Surface Web The Newer Substances

6 Easy Access- Surface Web Since 2009, law enforcement officials in the US have encountered more than 240 new synthetic compounds. Worldwide, the number is 348 as of 11/14. As quickly as these drugs are emergently regulated through the DEA Schedules, the formulas change and new compounds come out. These compounds are primarily sold via the Internet, and often are imported from China and the Middle East. Despite significant law enforcement efforts, the availability of these substances has not significantly diminished.

7 Easy Access- Surface Web When synthetic cannabinoids first came out, they were widely available in the retail market, and even on mainstream online markets, such as Amazon.com. Substances that are highly abusable but not yet Federally regulated, such as kratom and salvia, are still available on Amazon.com.

8 Easy Access- Surface Web Kratom, which is an opioid agonist extracted from the tree: Mitragyna Speciosa Korth, a Southeast Asian Tree, is packaged and sold in ways that are appealing to youth, and also have a benign appearance to parents.

9 Easy Access- Social Media Definitions: Instagram: An App or Application that allows the user to take, edit, and share photos and short videos. There is now an ability to message other users privately. Hashtag, # : a searchable way to label a photo so that one can search for like photos or for certain topics. For example, if I wanted to see cute cat pictures, I could search, #cutecat, #catsarecute, #cutekitties, etc.

10 Easy Access- Social Media There is widespread drug trade on Instagram, via the posting of photos of drug use with labels such as #drugs4sale; etc. #Xanax has > 88,000 associated photos. The drugs for sale on Instagram: Marijuana, prescription pills, and liquid promethazinecodeine cough syrup are the heavy favorites Xanax, Adderall, and Oxycodone are among the most popular pills, as well as some synthetic addictionmanagement treatments like Suboxone and Subutex. MDMA, LSD, and ketamine are also easy to find.

11 Easy Access- Social Media There are no direct sales/ trades on Instagram, but the product is advertised and sales are arranged. Contact info is usually listed in the bio or comments. Dealers generally post burner cell numbers, or use Apps like Kik due to anonymous messaging. Kik allows username to username messaging with no phone numbers or identifying information. The buyer and seller discuss terms of payment and delivery once contact is made through these other channels.

12 Example of an Instagram Advertisement

13 Easy Access- Social Media A recent survey by VentureBeat.com of drugs advertised on Instagram estimated that: Marijuana accounts for about 80% of substances advertised and sold through Instagram. The other 20% were found to be Xanax, opioid painkillers, and MDMA. There have been several recent reports and complaints that young children are being targeted by dealers adding hashtags unrelated to their product to the photo, e.g. #cutekitty so that they will broaden their demographic.

14 The Darknet:

15 The Darknet: Definitions TOR, or The Onion Router, is a system for making Internet communications anonymous. It was originally designed to protect US Intelligence Personnel. Now, it is abused to hide the identities of those buying and selling illegal substances (and several other things) in the Darknet, only accessible through anonymous browsers.

16 The Darknet: It sounds like something from a movie, right? I mean, who knows how to do that but professional hackers? The answer: anyone. Believe it or not, simple instructional videos are a YouTube video away. How to Install and Use TOR:

17 The Darknet: Definitions Bitcoin: A form of digital currency that was developed in One can acquire bitcoin by buying them on an exchange. 1 Bitcoin is $625. Bitcoin is kept in a virtual wallet - when a purchase is made, it is recorded in a public log, but the only identification is the wallet ID. This currency is not maintained through any banking systems or routers, and is virtually untraceable- but also uninsurable and easily hacked, stolen or lost.

18 The Darknet: Marketplaces The Marketplaces on the DarkNet are there for a reason- they sell things like drugs and guns. Silk Road was the most notorious of these sites until it was dismantled in ,000 people were registered users worldwide In 2.5 years, sold over 2.5 billion dollars worth of product. Top 3 items sold were weed, drugs, and prescriptions. Robert Ullrich, the sites administrator, had $28 million in bitcoins when he was caught. He ran the site through a computer at a public library.

19 The Darknet: Marketplaces In these marketplaces, transactions are as follows: Buyer purchases product. Site holds buyer s Bitcoin in escrow until product is received. Once delivery is confirmed, Bitcoin is released to the seller. Several marketplaces popped up to replace Silk Road as soon as it was gone.

20 The Darknet: Marketplaces Two of the main marketplaces that took over, Sheep Marketplace and Black Market Reloaded, were initially successful, but eventually both shut down. The new leader in the Darknet is Silk Road 2.0, followed by a site called Agora. Silk Road 2.0 has >13,600 drug listings. Which is more than the original had when it was taken down.

21 The Darknet: Marketplaces Surface Web search Engines have not yet disabled searching for these illicit sites. I searched for Agora, one of the sites that has taken over since Silk Road, and in minutes, I had instructions on how to get there. (that was as far as I got because I was scared)

22 The Darknet: Special Agent Rich Isaacson in the DEA Detroit office feels that adolescents in this area do not seem to be using the Darknet as a major method of accessing illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine, but that unfortunately seems to be due to easier access to those drugs in the community. However, he adds that there is absolutely no way to verify that.

23 The Darknet: The Digital Citizens Alliance offered these pointers for concerned parents: Check to see if the TOR browser has been downloaded on your teen s computer, tablet, or smartphone. If your child mentions Bitcoin or requests to have money to convert to Bitcoin, discuss the reason why they feel this currency is necessary. Check ALL Packages that come to your house. Dealers often offer to send the drugs in greeting cards or packages from known retailers to avoid attention. Do NOT allow your teenager to have their own PO Box.

24 References: 1. Authorities use Social Media App to Catch Local Drug Dealers. Actionnewsnow.com. Chico, California. Published 11/3/2014. Accessed most recently 2/9/ Babb, Fletcher. Instagram Has a Drug Problem. Venturebeat.com. Published 9/19/2014. Accessed most recently on 2/9/ Coalition Against Drug Abuse. Instagram: #Instahigh, #Instabusted. Drug Dealer Profiles on Instagram. Drugabuse.com. Most Recently Accessed 2/12/ Digital Citizens Alliance. Busted, but not Broken. The State of Silk Road and the Darknet Marketplaces: A Digital Citizens Alliance Investigative Report. Published April Accessed 1/29/ Digital Citizens Alliance. Post Silk Road- Another Online Drug Den Now Dominates the DarkNet. Published 12/18/2014. Accessed 1/29/ D.K. The Economist Explains: How Can You Buy Illegal Drugs Online? The Economist. Published 8/25/2013. Accessed 1/29/ Gaita, Paul. Can You Still Buy Illegal Drugs Online? You Bet! The Fix: Addiction and Recovery Straight Up. Published 9/11/2014. Accessed 1/29/ Greenberg, A. Drug Market Agora Replaces Silk Road as King of the Dark Net. Wired.com. Published 9/02/14. Accessed 1/29/ How to Use Tor. 12:00Tutorials via YouTube.com Uploaded 9/10/10. Accessed 1/29/ Hudson, D, and R. Saville. Drug pushers are now using the same apps your kids are using. Good4Utah.com. Published 2/4/2015. Most recently accessed 2/9/2015.

25 References: 11. Love, Dylan. Here are Three Other Sites Still in Operation That Sell Illegal Drugs Just Like Silk Road Did. Business Insider. Published 10/2/2013; Accessed 1/29/ Parental Alert: Drugs, Youth and the Internet. Connecticut Clearinghouse. Published 09/18/2003. Most recently accessed 1/29/ Saltzman, Wendy. Drug Dealers Using Social Media to Target Children. 6abc.com. Philadelphia, PA. Published 5/17/2014. Accessed most recently on 2/9/ Schryver, Kelly. 15 Sites and APPS Kids Are Heading to Beyond Facebook. CommonSenseMedia.org. Published 7/22/2014. Most recently accessed 2/9/ Special Agent Rich Isaacson, United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration Detroit Division, Personal Communication on 2/09/ Steinberg, Joseph. How Your Teenage Son or Daughter May be Buying Heroin Online. Forbes.com. Published 1/8/2015. Accessed 1/29/ Theer, S. Shining the Light on the Dark Web. BrownPoliticalReview.org Published 11/4/2014. Accessed 1/29/ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2014 (United Nations Publication, Sales No. E.14.XI.7) 19. United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration, Strategic Intelligence Section National Drug Threat Assessment Summary. November DEA-DCT-DIR Unclassified. 20. Urban Dictionary. Hashtag. Published 11/12/2010. Most recent access 1/29/ Van Buskirk, J; Roxburgh, A; Bruno, R. and Burns, L. (2013) Drugs and the Internet, Issue 1, August 2013, Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. 22. Yellin, T. et al. What is Bitcoin? Money.CNN.com. Accessed 2/5/15.