Oregon Teacher Jailed In Japan For Adderall Prescription Freed Through Diplomacy
After her arrival in Japan on February 20, Oregon teacher Carrie Russell got the surprise of her life when she was arrested and put in jail on suspicion of smuggling drugs, in this case, the prescription medication, Adderall.
Due to the fact that Adderall is illegal in Japan, Russell was apprehended by Japanese police as she sat down to eat dinner with a friend at a Tokyo restaurant.
In the middle of her meal, Russell was handcuffed and escorted to a police car, and taken 275 miles to a detention center near Nagoya.
While she was treated well by Japanese authorities, and released from custody some 18 hours later, Russell’s case garnered lots of international attention due to her being regarded as a criminal in Japan for a routinely prescribed US medication.
As she sat in the detention center, Russell was unaware of the media attention her plight had attracted. Members of Congress and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy did what they could to ensure her release.
Russell’s stepfather, Loren Podwill, who is a prominent attorney, was central in getting his stepdaughter released, revealing to reporters how that happened,
“The American ambassador really took this on as a personal thing, to communicate with the Japanese government, to make sure they understood that Carrie’s not a criminal, This is a cultural and perhaps medical difference between the two countries.”
In speaking about Russell’s release,U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said,
“I’m thrilled that common sense has won the day and that Carrie is being released to her family. I want to thank Ambassador Kennedy and her staff for working closely with our office and their Japanese counterparts to get her released.”
Having learned of her release, Podwill flew from Portland to Nagoya as his stepdaughter walked free at around midday on Tuesday.
Speaking from his hotel room to reporters, Podwill said, “We hope that Carrie will have learned things that will make her a better person, and will have educated American travelers to the risk of not checking first to make sure that your prescription drugs are legal where you’re going.”
