Prescription drug danger prompts officials’ warnings
If you go
What: “Good Drugs Gone Bad,” a program sponsored by Janesville Mobilizing 4 Change.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Where: Hedberg Public Library, 316 South Main St., Janesville.
Cost: Free
JANESVILLE — In the good old days, parents only had to worry about marijuana, underage drinking and the remote possibility that their good kids would turn to more serious drugs.
Those days are gone.
Now parents have to worry about the illegal drugs that young people traditionally use and the new epidemic of abuse: prescription drugs that can be in any home.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Janesville Mobilizing 4 Chance is hosting “Good Drugs Gone Bad” in Janesville, a program for parents, grandparents and anyone else who has prescription drugs in their bathroom or kitchen cabinets.
Janesville Mobilizing 4 Change is a collaboration between community members and groups that focuses on underage alcohol use, youth marijuana use and prescription drug misuse by teens.
The problem?
“There’s ease of access,” said Rock County Coroner Jenifer Keach. “It’s easy for young people to help themselves.”
Janesville Crime Prevention Officer Chad Sullivan put it this way: “Marijuana is not in every household. Heroin is not in every household. These drugs are in every household.”
The most popular drug, by far, is Oxycodone, the painkiller that gives users a sense of euphoria.
Second to painkillers are medications for attention deficit disorders, such as Ritalin and Adderal. Some high-achieving students use such drugs to help them focus during exams or study for extended periods of time.
Finally, and perhaps most distressingly, is the random recreational use of all prescriptions.
“Skittling” or “pharming” involves taking a variety of prescription drugs, mixing them up and taking two or three, Sullivan said.
“Prescription drugs don’t have that fear factor,” Sullivan said. “Young people just don’t fear them.”
The lack of fear, combined with the drugs’ legal status, means that “good kids” often end up experimenting with them.
Even parents who lock up their liquor cabinets might not consider locking up their prescriptions.
“Lock them up,” Sullivan said, “Don’t leave them in the medicine cabinet.”
Keep the drugs out of the kitchen cabinets, as well, Keach said.
When Keach goes to a home after a death, the first place she looks for drugs is in the medicine cabinet; the second place is in kitchen cabinets.
Keach also will talk about the abuse of over-the-counter drugs and the signs of prescription drug abuse and addiction in the general population.
Of primary concern?
“Without any question, it’s Oxycodone,” Keach said.
Often, the addiction or abuse starts with an appropriately prescribed prescription of pain medication. She has seen cases where loved ones don’t want to intervene with the addict because they are afraid the person will lose access to his or her medications.
Mar 13, 2013 at 6:51 a.m.
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carlitosway,
your personal life experience of this issue is not the reality of the rest of the world,these drugs are good and very bad IF and when abused not EVERYONE that takes these prescriptions are junkies. some people have a legitimate need for them...when people PROJECT their limited experiences on everyone else that is my def. of a liberal...
Mar 12, 2013 at 12:30 p.m.
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Until you experience or see the real withdrawl of these drugs you will never imagine the addiction power of them. I refused to be placed on any narcotic type drugs even after surgeries that were painful, as I did not want to end up as some of my family. I call this a healthy fear. Maybe Doctors should be held accountable for allowing people to continue on pain meds KNOWING the addiction power of them after the healing of surgeries and such.
Mar 12, 2013 at 11:01 a.m.
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And the mayor of New York is worried about over sized soft drinks.
I'm just sayin'...
Mar 12, 2013 at 9:35 a.m.
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These drugs are over prescribed and the sad thing is once addicted, the person when cut off or tries to get off them, they are referred to the methadone clinic and methadone is nothing but synthetic heroin. Also they sell for good money and oxycontin is far more powerful then oxycodone/hydrocodone. I can speak from experience as I have watched these drugs destroy my family. Ritalin/Adderal is snorted by many as is the oxy's. I have seen my family with the withdrawls of most of these drugs, it is sad and you are so helpless as they justify that they are legal and that they need them. To see them nodding because of taking more then the dose prescribed, is heart wrenching and the real issue is the denial, even though you see them in this shape. when they get cut off they turn to heroin and I have seen it up close and watched as one of my sisters was brought back to life from an overdose of heroin after being found on the floor. Heroin sells for 10 dollars a bump, Percs and Vicodin sell for anywhere from 4+ dollars a piece and 40+ dollars for oxycontin.
Mar 12, 2013 at 2 a.m.
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I hear the short word OXY a lot , people mistake Oxycontin and Oxycodone same basic ingredients but different , one is a time release the other is not . some info here http://www.diffen.com/difference/OxyCont...
Mar 11, 2013 at 7:49 p.m.
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Here's the problem:
"These drugs are in every household.”
Fix this, and the other problem will go away.
Mar 11, 2013 at 7:28 p.m.
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Oh for Gods sake, people - talk to your kids. Pay attention. Of course you have to keep things out of reach when your kids are too young to understand. But if your older kids are so out of control that you have to lock up your prescriptions, you've got bigger fish to fry than this.
Mar 11, 2013 at 6:42 p.m.
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I needed oxy back in 2000 when I was pre-surgery. It was the only thing that dulled the pain enough to get through a regular day. 6 months of Oxy, then back surgery. It was a major surgery and many weeks of recovery. My fear with this abuse is that people that honestly NEED the potency of this drug, will not be able to get it. Had I not had access to this drug, I would have been incapable of working, let alone even get out of bed. The pain was horrendous.
They have already restricted simple drugs such as Sudafed because it can be the active ingredient for meth production. We now must present an ID for an OTC drug.
All this said, I certainly understand restrictions must be made to protect our kids. I just really think it (once again) comes down to the "adults" taking perscriptions. This is who should be held accountable. And to the most severe extent of the law. If you can not responsibly guard your perscriptions, it is on YOUR head.
Just my humble opinion.
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