San Diego's Prescription Drug Epidemic
>> Be sure to continue reading about this epidemic with What Parents Need to Know about Prescription Drugs.
The County Medical Examiner’s Office reports that prescription drug-related deaths among San Diego teens rose 67 percent between 2005 and 2009. One in five US teens has taken drugs not prescribed for them.
There’s an alarming new drug epidemic among San Diego teens and young adults ages 12–25: prescription drug abuse. Some teens are turning away from street drugs and using prescription drugs such as Vicodin, Xanax, OxyContin, Tylenol with codeine and Valium to get high. Why? They are under the false pretense that taking the drugs they find in their medicine cabinets to get high is “much safer” because they are prescribed. On the contrary, OxyContin in particular is as addictive and dangerous as heroin.
More than 130 San Diego youth have died from an OxyContin overdose in the last three years. Many more are suffering from an Oxy addiction—and their parents may not even realize it.
What is OxyContin?
Oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet) is an opiate that is prescribed for moderate to high pain relief. Other opiates include morphine, codeine and heroin. The most common methods of use among Oxy abusers is smoking melted pills or snorting crushed pills, which cause this time-released drug to enter one’s body all at once, getting users incredibly high, incredibly fast.
Where Do Kids Find Oxy?
Do you have a few painkillers left over from your last dental surgery? If so, protect your children and their friends by locking them up. They are just what some kids are looking for to take to a “pharming party,” where everyone brings whatever prescription drugs they have on hand and throw them in one big bowl. Each person at the party then takes a handful of the mixed pills and pops them all.
Your medicine cabinet isn’t the only place students are getting Oxy. Young people can buy it from street dealers in the United States and Mexico and even over the Internet. The green 80-milligram tablet (approx. $50 per pill) is the most common dosage. Because of the high cost, law enforcement officials are finding many users in middle to upper class families and neighborhoods, but local users have reported that they know kids in every social group at school who are abusing Oxy.
Who’s Addressing the Problem?
The Prescription Drug Task Force is a multi-agency group created to fight prescription drug abuse (including OxyContin) in San Diego County. Their goal is to increase awareness through policy, education, health and enforcement. They are also working to change two major practices: the way pharmacies lock up drugs (making it more difficult for people to break in and steal them), and how manufacturers make Oxy (requesting a non-smokeable pill).
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department is in the process of installing secure containers in stations for community members to drop off unused prescription drugs—no questions asked. This is the safest way to dispose of them, as it is harmful to the environment to flush medications down the toilet. Anyone can come during regular business hours and safely deposit their unused prescription drugs into the boxes. Visit www.sdsheriff.net for more information.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is on a mission to educate students and parents on emerging drug trends and the dangers of drug abuse through their Demand Reduction Program. Call the DEA at 858-616-4100 to request a speaker to visit your school, team meeting or community event.
How You Can Protect Your Kids
• Talk to your kids about the dangers of drugs. Don’t assume your child is immune to this problem.
• LISTEN to your kids.
• Be a parent, not a friend.
• Monitor your kids’ activities. Know where your kids are and who they’re with. Drug test your kids. Administering regular drug tests will give your kids the “out” they need to say no to drugs. Check with your doctor about a special test needed to identify OxyContin use.
• Lock up your medications.
• Attend informational meetings with your teens. Education is the first line of defense. Tiffany Findell, drug and alcohol counselor with the San Dieguito School District, says, “One of our biggest challenges is getting parents to attend our education seminars. They often assume their kids won’t get into drugs, and therefore don’t think they need the information.”
Resources
DEA Drug Abuse Hotline: 877-662-6384
San Dieguito School District READI (Recovery Education and Alcohol/Drug Instruction) Program: http://teachers.sduhsd.net/READI
Drug education websites: JustThinkTwice.com, TheAntiDrug.com
>>UPDATE: Watch an informative video from Parents360 Rx and find out what parents should look for and educate themselves on the real dangers of medicine abuse and ways to prevent and respond to it.
>> The San Diego Sheriff's Department participates in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Visit their website for the next event.
>> Be sure to continue reading about this epidemic with What Parents Need to Know about Prescription Drugs.
>> Watch a video of Aaron Rubin, an OxyContin overdose survivor from our August article.
Meet Aaron Rubin, former Poway High School student and Oxycontin Overdose Survivor
When Aaron Rubin graduated from Poway High School in 2000, he was a charismatic, outgoing athlete and a loyal, dedicated friend who was admired and respected by his peers. He planned to work with his dad, make lots of money and travel the world. Five years after graduation...
Read the rest of his story here >>
Lisa Gipson is a contributing writer and mom of three daughters.