Overprescribed, overdosed

.... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an oversupply of prescription painkillers is fueling an epidemic of overdoses.

Properly prescribed, these drugs are important for patients. But a lot of the drugs wind up on the streets, through thefts from patients’ homes, forgery rings, doctor shopping, illegal online sales, and some doctors who prescribe improperly.

CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden:

"Prescription painkillers kill 40 Americans every day. Last year, doctors prescribed enough painkillers for every adult in America to take for a month." (9 seconds)
People who use prescription painkillers can help by storing them in a safe place.
The report is in the Vital Signs section of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Listen to Tip

Prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused category of drugs, behind marijuana, and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs. The National Institutes of Health estimates that nearly 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. Most abusers of prescription drugs take them right out of the family medicine cabinet. So it is important to properly dispose of medications that are no longer needed...Continued

Recovery from Addiction is Possible

.... Problems caused by alcohol and drug abuse can seem overwhelming for individuals, families, and communities. In fact, addiction is our nation's number one health problem. According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 22.5 million people aged 12 or older were classified with substance use dependence. On top of that, 11 million people 18 years or older were diagnosed with a serious mental health problem. Sadly, the two challenges often go hand in hand. But the good news is that recovery does happen. Every day, someone finds their way to wellness through personal courage, spirituality, and the support of a caring community.

.... Chances are, you know someone who is struggling to maintain a clean and healthy lifestyle. You can show your support in September, National Recovery Happens Month. This year... Continued

Law Enforcement Cracks Down on Prescription Drug Traffickers

.... Fifteen people were arrested and cash, drugs and weapons confiscated during a two-day crack down on prescription drug traffickers and abusers.
San Diego County Probation, with assistance from the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshalls, San Diego Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, National City Police Department and investigators from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) conducted Operation Trail Mix, a countywide sweep of people using fake prescription pads and probationers with a history of selling or abusing prescription drugs.

.... “Prescription drug abuse is becoming a big problem in the region and across the nation,” said Mack Jenkins, Chief Probation Officer. ...

Operation Trail-Mix → Continued (PDF) .. | Operación anti-drogas Trial Mix PDF

Prescription Drugs Among Fastest Growing Drug of Choice

.... Abuse of prescription drugs to get high is becoming more and more popular among teens and young adults. It now ranks second—only behind marijuana—as the Nation's most prevalent illegal drug problem. Recognizing the emerging threat of prescription drug abuse within the San Diego region, the County of San Diego Alcohol and Drug Services and Sheriff, in partnership with the national Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), launched the Prescription Take Back Day in 2010.

.... At least twice a year, the County and DEA collaborate to offer the public an opportunity prevent prescription drug abuse by safely disposing of the unwanted drugs. This spring, communities nationwide, including San Diego, will participate in the Take Back Day. ...

Rx Abuse →Continued -PDF..| El abuso de medicamentos un riesgo que va en aumento

Do you know What You Have in Your Medicine Cabinet?

.... Most of us would be surprised to do an inventory. You may found that you have accumulated a big collection of prescription drugs that may be expired from quite some time. Like food, all medications have an expiration date to let us know when the medications must be discarded. People need to look through the medicine supply at least twice a year. Sadly, we can discover that our grandchildren and/or their friends might be doing that inventory for us, and taking some of those old pills.

.... The Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that more than half of teens who abuse prescription drugs say they get them for free, from the homes of family or friends. Teens who use these drugs to get high can run the risk of addiction, strokes, seizures, comas, and even death.

How to dispose of Medications → PDF. | Cómo deshacerse de los medicamentos

Warning Signs of Teenage Alcohol or Drug abuse

About the time my son entered middle school, I thought to myself, “Stay aware—this is the time when many kids start using drugs.” I talked to him about it, but he assured me that he would never use them. As I watched him struggle with puberty and all the other normal changes that occur at that age, I noticed he was confused and sad and sometimes downright belligerent. I talked to him again and he assured me everything was okay. Soon, he started wearing different clothing and had a “funky” hair style. When I asked him about it, he said all his friends dressed this way. When the anger arose, I would ask him about it and he ...

Warning Signs → Continued (PDF) | Señales de alerta del abuso de sustancias

Alcohol abuse and your brain

.... You’re chatting with friends at a party when the party organizer comes around with glasses of brightly colored drinks, martinis and champagne.You drink one, then another, maybe even a few more. Before you realize it, you are laughing more loudly than usual, maybe talking nonsense, and swaying as you walk. By the end of the evening, you are too slow to move and have trouble speaking clearly. The next morning, you wake up feeling dizzy, thirsty and your head hurts. You may have a hard time remembering everything you did the night before.

.... What Happened? When you drink alcohol, it's quickly absorbed in the stomach and the small intestine, and passes into the bloodstream. The liver can only break down (metabolize) a small amount of alcohol at a time. The rest of the alcohol lingers in the bloodstream, and from the spinal cord reaches the brain making you to "feel drunk." The more alcohol you drink at once, the greater the damage.

.... Most people do not realize how extensively alcohol can affect them, but the reactions on the first paragraph described/illustrates how quickly and dramatically alcohol affects the brain.

.... Excessive alcohol use has immediate effects. It increase the risk of unintentional injuries, including traffic injuries, falls, drownings, burns, or end in a medical emergency. Loss of consciousness, low blood pressure and body temperature, coma, respiratory depression, and death with a forensic report of "Alcohol poisoning".

Alcohol and your brain → Continued (PDF) | Cómo afecta el alcohol a su cerebro

www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/takeback/

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