The Berrien County Health Department is raising awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. It’s launched a campaign to prevent the abuse and tell people about resources for help.
Department prevention specialist Lisa Peeples-Hurst tells us prescription abuse takes multiple forms.
“Taking a prescription that’s not prescribed to you, or in a way that was not prescribed to you,” Peeples-Hurst said.
Peeples-Hurst says that’s how some addictions start out innocently enough, when someone doesn’t follow the directions.
As for which medications are abused the most, she says opioids are still the most common.
“There are some people who may be addicted to other prescription drugs, like Ritalin or Adderall, all of those things that may be used for a diagnosed condition, but the most prevalent misuse is in opioid form.”
Peeples-Hurst says the relationship between drug makers and doctors, in terms of properly communicating addiction risks, has improved in recent years, partly as a result of lawsuits that have held drug makers accountable.
She urges parents to monitor any prescriptions in their homes to ensure teens aren’t getting into them. That’s because 12% of Michigan high schoolers have reported misusing a prescription painkiller at some point in their life.
Steps that you can take to help prevent prescription drug misuse include:
–Properly disposing of unused and expired prescription medication. A list of safe disposal sites can be found at berriencounty.org/533/Medical-Waste.
–Talking with loved ones about safe prescription drug use. To find talking tips for any age, visit talksooner.org/talking-tips.
–For more information about preventing prescription drug abuse and local resources, visit berriencounty.org/1821/Rx-Drug-Abuse-Prevention
