Kalamazoo County Substance Abuse Task Force targets prescription-drug abuse
Thursday August 20, 2009, 12:38 PM
Visit the Kalamazoo County Substance Abuse Task Force Web site at www.kzootaskforce.com. The task force
also can be reached by calling (269) 388-4200 ext. 27.
KALAMAZOO -- The Kalamazoo County Substance Abuse Task Force
is asking adults to secure their prescription drugs in connection with National
Medicine Abuse Awareness Month.
As part of this effort, the task force has distributed 40,000 flyers to
pharmacies and doctors' offices offering facts about prescription-drug abuse and
giving tips on how to keep drugs safe, said task force coordinator Jenny Jordan,
a program coordinator at Prevention Works.
Pharmacists have been sticking the flyers inside prescription bags, and some
doctors have handed out the flyers when they write the prescriptions, Jordan
said. One pharmacist has started stapling the flyer to the front of the bag,
bringing the message to the forefront, she said.
According to the task force, 19 percent of young people in grades seven
through 12, or 4.7 million of them, report trying prescription or
over-the-counter drugs for recreational use in 2007.
"Teens are abusing prescription drugs because many believe the myth that
these drugs provide a 'safe' high and they are easily available," Jordan said in
a prepared statement.
Research shows that youths who learn about the risks
of drug abuse from their parents are less likely to use drugs, but only
one-quarter of parents nationally discuss the risks of prescription and
over-the-counter drugs, Jordan said.
The task force suggests that parents:
• Secure the medications in their houses so youths cannot access them without
permission and properly discard old and unused prescriptions..
• Talk to other parents and adults to ensure they have the same policies in
their homes.
• Set and enforce clear rules about drug use and establish consequences for
breaking the rules.
• Learn about the online activities of your children, their use of technology
and their exposure to pro-drug messages.
• Be aware of indications that children may be abusing prescriptions or
over-the-counter drugs. (See "Is someone you know addicted?")
Gazette reporters Linda S. Mah and Aaron Aupperlee contributed to this
story.
Date: Thursday August 20, 2009
Source: The Kalamazoo Gazette staff
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