Fewer Online Drug Sites

A new survey has found the first decline in websites selling drugs, down to 365 from 581 last year. But this doesn't mean the problem is going away.

Since 2004, researchers at Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) have conducted an annual study into the online sale of drugs. This year, for the first time, they’ve found a drop in the number of drug sites, down to 365 from 581 in 2007.

Joseph A. Califano, Jr., president of CASA and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, noted:

“This decline in the number of Web sites advertising or selling controlled prescription drugs may reflect efforts of federal and state agencies and financial institutions to crack down on Internet drug trafficking. Nevertheless, in spite of those efforts, anyone of any age can obtain dangerous and addictive prescription drugs with the click of a mouse. This problem is not going away. It is morphing into different outlets for controlled prescription drug trafficking like Internet script mills and membership sites that sell lists of online pharmacies, and different payment methods like eChecks, COD and money orders.”

About a quarter of the drug sites were located in the US, but it was impossible to determine the geographic location of more than one-third of the drug sites. 85% of sites didn’t demand a prescription for an order. Of those that did require one, half only needed the prescription to be faxed.