Posts Tagged dangers of prescription drug abuse

Drug Take Back Day on April 30th

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on April 13th, 2011

On April 30, an event dubbed as Drug Take Back Day will be held in various areas sponsored by government agencies. This activity aims to help prevent prescription drug abuse by collecting unused and unwanted prescribed medications. Organizers assured the public that those who will take part in the activity will remain anonymous and will not be obliged to answer any question regarding the activity.

prescription drugsThe fight against prescription drug abuse is one battle that parents are most concerned about since many of the victims are adolescents. Reports showed that in 2009, there were 7 million children, 12 years and older, who abused prescribed medications for non-medical purposes. It was also known that on the average, there are 2,500 teens every day that get high using prescription medications for the first time. Did you also know that two teens in every five see prescription medications as much safer than illegal drugs and that three out of ten believe painkillers are not addictive at all?

This is why the Tri-State has initiated the Drug Take Back activity. It will be held in the following venues from 10 am to 2 pm on the 30th of April:

1. Huntington: Huntington Police Department at Ebenezer Medical Outreach, 1448 10th Ave.
2. Huntington: West Virginia State Police at West Virginia State Police Detachment, 3339 U.S. 60.
3. Kenova: Kenova Department of Public Safety at Kenova Volunteer Fire Department, 1600 Pine St.
4. Barboursville: Barboursville Police Department at Barboursville Police Department/Municipal Building, 721 Central Ave.
5. South Point: Lawrence County Ohio Drug Task Force at Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, 216 Collins Ave., South Point.
6. Ironton: Ironton Hills parking lot.
7. Coal Grove: Village Hall parking lot on Carlton-Davidson Lane.
8. Burlington: Wal-Mart parking lot.
9. Lawrence County: Fairground entrance at Ohio 7 and Ohio 243.
10. Ashland: Kentucky State Police at Kentucky State Police Detachment, 5975 U.S. 60.

No Comments

DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative Collects 121 Tons of Unwanted Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on October 8th, 2010

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) released a statement on Tuesday regarding its recent prescription drug take-back initiative, which, according to a report by The Associated Press, was able to gather more than 121 tons of unused medicines.

prescription drugsThe main goal of the effort is to prevent abuse of prescription drugs by removing them from homes, and it was conducted last September 25. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day gave Americans an opportunity to legally and safely get rid of unwanted prescription drugs, and it could be done anonymously and for free.

Michele M. Leonhart, Acting Administrator for the DEA, shared the following statement from the agency: “The Take-Back Campaign was a stunning nationwide success that cleaned out more than 121 tons of pills from America’s medicine cabinets, a crucial step toward reducing the epidemic of prescription drug abuse that is plaguing this nation.”

David Ausiello, a spokesman for the DEA, shared that over 4,000 collection sites catered to anyone who had excess prescription drugs across the country. Aside from drugs, people also brought items that they received along with their prescription, such as needles.

There are many people who have unwanted prescription drugs in their homes, and they do not know what to do with them or how to dispose of them properly. Some resort to flushing them down the toilet, a practice that can have an impact on a community’s water supply. Some even simply throw medicines out.

There is legislation that has been passed by the House and the Senate that will allow state and private entities to set up responsible drug take-back programs; for now, though, only law enforcement is legally allowed to receive unused prescriptions.

1 Comment

September 25 is National Take-back Day

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on September 13th, 2010

In previous posts, we shared programs against prescription drug abuse that are being implemented in Suffolk County, New York (Operation Medicine Cabinet), the state of Montana, and in San Diego, California.

prescription drugsOn September 25, 2010, this type of effort will be done on a national scale, as shared in a press release from the Department of Justice, given last August 19. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is joining forces with government, public health and law enforcement partners in the fight against prescription drug abuse through the prescription drug take-back initiative.

The other participants in this initiative are: the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; the Partnership for a Drug-Free America; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the National Association of Attorneys General; the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy; the Federation of State Medical Boards; and the National District Attorneys Association.

From 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM local time on September 25, the DEA will collect expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. There will be sites set-up nationwide that will offer the service for free, and the drugs that will be collected through the initiative will be properly destroyed.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler said: “With this National Prescription Drug Take-Back campaign, we are aggressively reaching out to individuals to encourage them to rid their households of unused prescription drugs that pose a safety hazard and can contribute to prescription drug abuse. The Department of Justice is committed to doing everything we can to make our communities safer, and this initiative represents a new front in our efforts.”

Those who are interested in taking advantage of this initiative can go to the DEA website to check out collection sites that have been set up in local communities.

No Comments

Kentucky Moms Join in Fight Against Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on September 12th, 2010

Two Kentucky moms who lost their young daughters to prescription drug abuse are lending a helping hand in the fight against prescription drug abuse, according to a feature on the Courier-Journal.com.

Lynn Kissick lost her 22-year-old daughter Savannah to an overdose of painkillers and sedatives, while Karen Shay lost her 19-year-old daughter Sarah to a methadone overdose.

prescription drugsKissick and Shay are reaching out to teens via the presentation of their stories in a video that is making the rounds of high schools in the state. The video is part of a public awareness campaign, through the joint efforts of the Kentucky attorney general’s office, Kentucky Justice Cabinet, Kentucky Pharmacists Association, National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators and Operation UNITE. The first showing was held at the Western Hills High School in Frankfort last Thursday.

Kissick shared: “It can happen, and it does happen, and it will happen… One time, and it can kill you.” Shay, on the other hand, urged teens to ensure that their families do not go through the pain that prescription drug abuse may bring: “Children are supposed to live longer than their parents, so when you go before us, it leaves a huge, huge hole.”

Van Ingram, executive director for the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, shared that studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that 20 percent of teens in the state have admitted to using prescription pills for recreational purposes. He shared further that 530 people died due to prescription drug overdose last year.

No Comments

FDA on Reducing Use of Prescription Painkillers

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Prescription Drug Abuse on July 26th, 2010

The proposal of the Food and Drug Administration that aims to reduce the abuse and misuse of pain medication such as OxyContin has been rejected by an advisory committee, according to a feature on The New York Times.

prescription pillsThe committee voted 25 to 10 against the plan. This advisory panel included doctors and pain experts, and one of the reasons for the rejection was that the panel felt that the plan lacked a stipulation requiring doctors to undergo training on the appropriate use of prescription narcotics. This rendered the plan as weak in terms of controlling the use of such drugs.

Drugs such as OxyContin, fentanyl and methadone are considered as important in pain management; however, these are the same drugs involved prescription drug abuse, and have also been linked to deaths due to overdose. It is for this reason that the FDA, as well as the drug industry, worked together to draw up a plan to reduce the misuse and abuse of these medications.

Dr. John K. Jenkins, director of the office of new drugs at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA, shared that the concern of the advisory panel lay in the “voluntary nature of the training requirements” for doctors.

It was said that the FDA had initially planned on stipulating mandatory training for those who intend to prescribe the drugs. The agency, however, was concerned about the fact that they only had the authority to require drug manufacturers to provide training. Another concern for the agency was that some doctors may choose to simply stop prescribing the drugs if they find mandatory trainings too tedious, thereby limiting the options of patients who may need them.

No Comments

Fighting Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Other Addictions on January 22nd, 2010

The bad thing about prescription drugs is that they are readily available in your local pharmacy, and they are no less dangerous than the drugs you get on the street. Just because you can get some at any time does not mean in any way that they are safe to use. When taken non-medically and in excess quantities, they can do a lot of damage to your body and may even cause death.

prescription drugsThe problems that prescription drugs can bring are real. The most commonly abused of these are painkillers, cough syrup, sleeping pills and other sedatives. While the drugs each serve a corresponding purpose, using them for the wrong reasons can lead to an early end. Famous people all over the world have paid with their lives for what they thought as a great way to escape the sadness and pain of their lives, but despite taking these, there still remains a certain level of emptiness within, which is why they continue drug use until their last breath.

So, how does one avoid addiction to prescription drugs? The first thing is to strive to be happy. Keep in mind that most abusers of this drug type are often depressed and seek out anything to relieve them of their sadness. Looking at bigger picture of life helps, and often at a much larger level than you originally anticipated.

Of course, this is something that is easier said than done. But the important thing is that you do not give in to life’s problems. It may take a great amount of willpower to do so, but it’s better than being a slave to something as small as a pill or a syrup bottle.

No Comments