SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The San Luis Obispo undercover narcotics detective held by the FBI on a federal bribery charge was released yesterday on a $25,000 bond. He will be arraigned March 13th. If convicted Cory Pierce faces ten years behind bars. Pierce allegedly stole drugs from the SLO police department.
So how were the drugs that Pierce was reportedly using affecting him? As an undercover officer, Pierce had access to many hard drugs. An employee at a substance abuse center says the drugs named in the report against Pierce were very addictive.
In the 19-page complaint against Pierce, a variety of different drugs appear on the pages claiming Pierce either sold them or used them. There's Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Norcos, Vicodin, and heroin.
Matt Hamlin, director of Coast Valley Substance Abuse Treatment Center, says, "they're all extremely addictive. They're all mind altering and very addictive."
Hamlin says the opiates that Pierce was using, including pain pills Vicodin and Oxycodone, are typically taken daily by addicts to avoid withdrawal.
"They become physically addicting as well as mentally addicting," says Hamlin. "And so, in order to keep from going through physical withdrawals, they basically need to dose every day with the opiates from getting physically sick."
The report against Pierce has specific details of his use of heroin. Hamlin says heroin is one of the most destructive and addictive drugs. He says quitting without intense withdrawals is rare. Normal, everyday routine would be a challenge.
"If somebody was using those drugs, it would be pretty hard to do their daily functions like go to work and perform their daily activities," says Hamlin. "It would be very, very hard."
