Prescription Drug Abuse

Teen News Network Tackles Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on February 2nd, 2012

The Santa Barbara Teen News Network is a network for teens and run by teens. It features teen activities and interesting information on what teens can possibly do to help and at the same time have fun while in the Santa Barbara community.

Santa Barbara Teen News NetworkAssociate director and chief financial officer of the Patricia Henley Foundation Trisha Geyer adds that sbTNN is a teen scene magazine show. Now on its third season, sbTNN offers teens “community-based arts programs” which help develop effective communication and enhance performing arts for the youth.

In the last six months, sbTNN has been working with their media sponsor Noozhawk in creating a special six-week investigative report and public announcements pertaining to prescription drug abuse. Many of the videos and have already been posted in their website together with articles from Noozhawk reporters.

The Santa Barbara Teen News Network has since came out with 28 public service announcements for prescription drug abuse. By interviewing and talking to professionals like doctors and medical providers and other resource persons like recovering addicts, the staff of sbTNN have learned and absorbed useful information with regards to prescription medications misuse and abuse.

According to one sbTNN staff, the notion that drinking is the largest problem among teens could be overtaken by the issue of prescription drug abuse.

Teen staff of the network confirmed that people they interviewed were excited about the project. “Everyone was really caring and just wanted to help,” says one teen interviewer.

As a result of the interviews, the teens themselves learn a lot and were in turn empowered to share information and knowledge about prescription drug abuse to others of their age. “We’re living (with those who misuse prescription drugs) and can help guide them,” says one teen volunteer for the teen network.

No Comments

Sen. Chuck Schumer Wants Drugged-Driving Tests

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on January 31st, 2012

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer revealed that too many New Yorkers are driving under the influence of prescription drugs, with an increase of 35% in drugged driving arrests in New York state since 2001. In 2009, 10.5 million Americans admitted they had taken the wheel while on drugs.

drugged drivingWhile these numbers are still low compared to drunk driving arrests, the dangers of drugged driving are just as real. Without the proper tools, though, what the cops can do to catch drugged drivers is very limited.

“If people next year knew that they’d be tested for drugged driving just like they are tested for drunk driving, it might deter them from doing it to begin with and save lives,” Schumer said.

This is why he is pushing for legislation that would provide $140 million research and training funding to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, in order to develop tests that cops can use to detect drugged drivers as well as to train cops to use any new technology.

Current tests being used by cops can detect alcohol intoxication. There is presently no device or test used by cops that can detect drugged drivers.

“Our cops need state-of-the-art equipment and better training to identify and apprehend those who are putting innocent victims at risk,” he added.

No Comments

Rise of Prescription Drugs and Marijuana Abuse in Charlevoix County

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Marijuana Use and Abuse, Prescription Drug Abuse on January 30th, 2012

The Bay Area Substance Education Services (BASES) Inc. in Charlevoix warned residents that local prescription drug abuse and marijuana use are on the rise, according to BASES executive director D. Scott Kelly.

Findings from Kelly’s program called “Drug Use Trends in Charlevoix County” have shown that more high school students are engaging in marijuana use than cigarettes smoking. Partly due to medical marijuana laws, kids’ perception on the dangers of marijuana has decreased. In 2008, Michigan approved its medical marijuana program and is now one of the 16 states which have adopted such policy.

marijuanaAnother contributing factor to the increase in prescription drug abuse and marijuana use is the availability of such substances online. Prescribed medications and synthetic cannabinoids such as K2 and Spice are readily available for purchase online.

“We had a kid come in, saying he could buy some ‘stuff’ online for $50, and then ‘flip’ it for $700,” Kelly recalled. “Synthetics create all kinds of legal, political and health issues.”

The program, which was initiated by the BASES executive director, aimed to help parents and concerned citizens understand the trends that kids get into as far as prescription drugs and marijuana abuse are concerned. They were also taught about the dangers of addiction that could lead to psychological problems and the treatments that can help those who become victims of abuse.

Kelly, who is one of the co-founders of BASES, also suffered from alcohol addiction during his college years. He has remained sober since 1984 after enlisting in an alcoholism treatment program. Today, he is one of the resource persons of their program and is currently working on his master’s degree in counseling. He also works as a relapse prevention specialist and as an advanced addiction counselor for their organization.

No Comments

Pharmacists Share How to Start the New Year Right

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on January 3rd, 2012

Another year has just started and the American Pharmacists Association is reminding us to start the New Year clean and right by simply fixing all the clutter in our medicine cabinets.

In a year, medications for coughs, colds, infections and other conditions can easily accumulate in homes. Aside from expiration and reduced potency when such items are kept for a period of time, unused medications can be easily misused and abused by both adults and kids at home.

In the US, the fastest growing drug problem is abuse of prescribed drugs. This reality also happens in other countries and more and more people are becoming victims of the abuse.

prescription drugsHere are some tips from our friendly neighborhood pharmacists when storing and cleaning medications in medicine cabinets.

1. To preserve the state of medications, they are best kept in cool and adequately lit storages. These storages in turn should be secured by parents and should also be strategically stationed in places where kids can’t get to them easily.

2. If you have medications kept for the last year, it’s time to dispose of them properly. Don’t give them away nor share them with other people.

3. Once in a while, check the expiration dates of these commodities and if there are items way past their expiry dates, dispose of them safely.

4. If there are loose items, those that are no longer in their original containers, discolored and unidentifiable tablets, capsules or bottles, be sure to take them away from your cabinet and follow the correct guidelines in disposing them.

5. Do not flush medications down the drain or in toilet bowls. Take advantage of drug take-back programs and talk to your pharmacists to know more about the proper disposal of unwanted and unused medicines.

No Comments

Top Medications That Increase Emergency Admission of Seniors

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on November 25th, 2011

A new research has looked into the type of drugs that brings in most of the emergency admissions among the elderly.

It has been noted that anti-diabetic and antithrombotic drugs were the top medications that have adverse drug side effects which accounted for most cases of seniors being admitted on emergency in hospitals.

medication for seniorsDr. Dan Budnitz of CDC in Atlanta confirmed that there are nearly 100,000 adults aged 65 and over that go into emergency admission every year because of the drugs that they take.

The top medications which are responsible for more than two-thirds of these admission cases include oral antiplatelet agents, insulins, warfarin, and oral hypoglycemic agents. This is why Budnitz and his team of researchers suggest for more safety initiatives in medicines that could have harmful effects to the elderly to save them from life-threatening conditions.

The results of the study were from representative samples from 58 hospitals that participated in the CDC’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance project between 2007 and 2009.

From the 5,077 emergency admissions for the elderly over the same period, nearly half of them or 48.1% were adults aged 80 and above, and from among this population, 65.7% were reported as accidental overdose cases.

The four medications were the causes of the 67% in emergency admissions of seniors. It was Warfarin that topped the list affecting 33.3% of the 67% accounted cases, 13.9% for Insulins, 13.3% were due to oral platelet agents, and 10.7% cases were caused by oral hypoglycemic agents.

The researchers reiterated that there should be an effective way to manage the said types of drugs as by doing so, a significant and sizable number of patients could avoid unnecessary emergency admissions. All it takes is the right amount of caution and care in dealing with these medications for the elderly.

No Comments

Arkansas Community Officials’ Work Against Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Prescription Drug Abuse on November 21st, 2011

Parents, teachers, and law enforcement authorities gathered at the Lonoke Community Center last Thursday to discuss the increasing alarm on prescription drug abuse and other designer drugs that are destroying the lives of the youth in their area.

prescription drug abuseCircuit Judge Phillip Whiteaker together with the Lonoke County Juvenile Department and The Bridgeway made the “Teen Abuse of Bath Salts and Spices” event happen last week. Featured speakers included state drug director Frances Flener and chief illicit lab chemist for the Arkansas Crime Lab, Chris Harrison.

Flener informed the community that prescription drugs abuse is the fastest growing type of drug abuse today, and parents unknowingly become the suppliers of the drugs that kids use through their medicine cabinets at home. There is a need then for parents to limit the availability of such medicines especially at home.

The circuit judge encouraged the crowd to take advantage of drug take-back events. She said that the last time they had an event on Oct. 29, they collected nearly 6 tons of unused prescription medications. “That is a lot of pills. That is 11,926 pounds taken out of the reach of Arkansas youth.”

She also added that kids get their meds three-fourths of the time from people they know. “If medicines cannot be secured, get them out of the house.”

On the crime lab’s part, Harrison informed parents and school officials that the Food and Drug Administration does not list all of the designer drugs that are equally dangerous.

In a report from the Lonoke Democrat, he asked for the community’s involvement in controlling the proliferation of the said drugs in the area. He warns parents that there are some sellers that tolerate the sale of new drugs because of money.

Harrison presented examples like K2 (which is now banned in Arkansas) and bath salts which are still making their way through ‘head shops’ that most teens go to get their drugs.

No Comments