According to a report issued by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 133 people died from methadone overdoses in the six months ending June 30. Of the 133 deaths, 20 were people age 25 or younger.

Furthermore, the painkiller and heroin substitute was found in the bodies of 121 other people who died.

"Methadone is an area of real concern," said James McDonough, head of the governor's Office of Drug Control. "We're investigating, but here's what I think: We took very strong action against oxycodone and hydrocodone, both on the education side and through law enforcement. Methadone may be a replacement drug. I think there's some sort of misplaced logic that if oxycodone and hydrocodone can kill you, I'll just go to methadone. But methadone can kill you, too."

According to Dr. Fred Furgang, head of the pain clinic at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, a growing number of doctors are prescribing methadone as a painkiller. But a large number of those pills are being sold illegally to people with addictions.

"People on the street have discovered that they can get their highs on this drug. It's falling into the wrong hands," Furgang said.

The report also showed that prescription-drug deaths continue to increase in Florida. During the first six months of 2002, prescription-drug deaths exceeded deaths from cocaine and heroin.

The three most common prescription drugs, methadone, hydrocodone, and oxycodone, accounted for 306 of the 456 deaths.

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