Rush Limbaugh And The Politics Of Drug Addiction

Rush Limbaugh, 55, a conservative commentator, where most of America knows

him as the football analyst from "ESPN's Sunday Football Countdown". Investigators

conducted a three year investigation on Limbaugh for prescription fraud.

"Rush Limbaugh was 'doctor shopping' throughout Palm Beach, Florida. 'Doctor

Shopping' is a term to describe a person seeking practitioner's to prescribe certain

Narcotics or overlapping their scripts for numerous amounts of narcotics."(1) Florida

law states that one that "doctor shops" could be punishable up to five years in prison.

Rush Limbaugh was seeking out practitioners to prescribe him with such

Painkillers as Oxycontin, Lorcet, Norco, Hydrocodone, Kadian, Xanax (anti-anxiety

drug), Niacin, and Cloriodine (treats increased blood pressure). Limbaugh claims he

became addicted to these painkillers due to severe back pain. Wilma Cline, Limbaugh's

former maid told reporters that even her and her husband sold Limbaugh large quantities

of drugs over many years.

Prosecutor's seized Limbaugh's medical records and learned through their

Investigation that he was prescribed about 2,000 painkillers by four different doctors in

six months. Limbaugh posted a $3,000 bail.

The deal that Limbaugh agreed with prosecutor's on a "pretrial diversion" that

was filed was his charges will be dropped IF he stays clean from narcotics for eighteen

months and doesn't commit anymore crimes. Also under the deal with the prosecutor's

He was also ordered to pay the state of Florida $30,000 for the cost of his investigation

that was brought up on him.

In 2003, Limbaugh took a five week leave from his radio show to enter a drug

Rehabilitation center. He receives random drug testing and is under supervision of

monthly probation. As of today, Rush Limbaugh has been