US NH: TEEN FACES NARCOTICS CHARGES

PORTSMOUTH - A local high school student appeared in Portsmouth
District Court Monday to face five felony counts of selling oxycodone
to classmates in the Portsmouth High School cafeteria.

Charles "Charlie" Hansen, 17, of 150 Pinehurst Road, was arrested
Nov. 9 at the high school on charges he sold a controlled narcotic
drug, in addition to two counts of marijuana possession. According to
complaints filed by arresting officer and high school resource
officer Corey MacDonald, Hansen sold the pain medication oxycodone to
five students who are identified in court records by their initials only.

MacDonald had been on the job as the school resource officer for one
week before the arrest.

"Oxycodone is in the same category as heroin. It's really dangerous,"
said MacDonald. "Hopefully, this will serve as a wake-up call."

Through attorney Charles Meade, Hansen pleaded not guilty to the pot
possession charges. Portsmouth District Court does not accept pleas
on felony charges, but instead refers them to Rockingham County
Superior Court, where Hansen's five felony charges will be heard.
Each count is punishable by 7 to 15 years in prison.

Portsmouth Police Capt. Bill Irving said the arrest was the result of
collaboration between high school administrators and police brass.
Irving said his department was contacted by the school with
information about the alleged drug sales. He said the arrest "took
place very quickly."

According to a written statement issued by local police, the five PHS
students who purchased and ingested oxycodone are facing "school
administrative action."

PHS Principal Forrest Ransdell would not confirm that the school
called police, instead saying he had "no comment on the situation
other than what is in the press release."

The press release says, "The administration of the Portsmouth Senior
High School maintain(s) a zero tolerance policy toward drug
possession and distribution. Violators of this policy will be
arrested in addition to facing school administrative penalties."

Prosecutor Ben Myler recommended Hansen's bail remain at $5,000
personal recognizance and that he have no contact with the students
to whom he's alleged to have sold the prescription pain medication.
Meade told Judge Patricia DiMeo that the students are Hansen's
classmates and a no-contact order may be difficult to honor.

Judge DiMeo instead ordered Hansen have "no intentional contact" with
those students.

The prosecution also asked that Hansen be ordered to adhere to an 11
p.m. curfew, and Judge DiMeo asked Hansen's father, who appeared in
court for his son's arraignment, what he thought about the recommended curfew.

"I think that's rather late," he said.

"I'm going to make it 8 p.m., which I still think is late," ordered the judge.

Judge DiMeo also expressed her opinion about Hansen's post-arrest
release on personal recognizance bail.

"You're very lucky to be out on personal recognizance," she said. "Do
you know that?"

"Yes," said the teen.

Irving said he did not know where Hansen allegedly obtained the
medication. But speaking in general terms, he said people who abuse
prescription drugs sometimes steal them from people with legal prescriptions.

"There is a drug problem in society," said Irving, "and the school is
part of that."

Outside the high school, as classes were letting out Monday
afternoon, students described Hansen as "a nice kid."

"I don't think he's ever been in this kind of trouble before," said
one student.

"I don't think it's that big of a deal," said another.

Hansen is scheduled to return to Portsmouth District Court on Dec. 6
for a probable cause hearing.

What Is Oxycodone

Oxycodone is a generic form of Oxycontin; both are opiates with habit
forming qualities.

According to Reid Lesneski, a licensed clinical mental health
counselor with Portsmouth Regional Hospital's Behavioral Health
Services, oxycodone can be ingested in its pill form as a
time-released narcotic. It is abused by crushing it and sniffing the
powder, said Lesneski, melting and injecting it with a hypodermic needle.

Sniffing and injecting the drug can result in a "big bang hit," said
Lesneski, with the "potential for a fatal overdose."

Withdrawal from oxycodone is similar to that of heroin, he said, with
addicts needing more and more to "feel normal" and no longer using to
get high. It's not uncommon, he said, for users to later switch to
heroin to achieve the same high for $10, compared to oxycodone's
$25-a-pill price.

Lesneski said oxycodone withdrawal is treated with some regularity at
Portsmouth Hospital's emergency room, where symptoms are classified
as "very severe" and users become "very, very sick."