by Gina DeMent, Public Information Officer
Five County Mental Health Authority
Most people take prescription medicines only for the reasons their doctors prescribed.
But did you know that there is a growing problem with prescription medicines and over-the-counter medications being abused either by taking too much of the medication or by people taking medications which were not originally prescribed for them?
An estimated 20% of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.
Teenagers and young adults especially are beginning to use other people’s medications, often found within the home, to get high, or they are giving or selling those medications to their friends and schoolmates. As young people search for various ways to get high, the availability of drugs from within their own homes gives easy access. Also, the Internet has made it possible to order almost anything on-line without a verification of age or medical need.
Another growing area of concern is the abuse of medications used for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by youths who have not been diagnosed with the disorder or prescribed this medication. These medications, such as Ritalin or Adderall that are used by someone for whom it was not prescribed for can cause very serious consequences.
Using any medicine that has not been prescribed to you is dangerous, and in some situations can be deadly. Abusing some prescription drugs can lead to addiction. Anyone can develop an addiction to narcotic pain killers such as OxyContin and Percocet, sedatives and tranquilizers such as Xanax and Ambian, and stimulants such as those used in weight loss pills.
Older children should also be made aware that selling any kind or amount of prescription drug is illegal and could lead to their arrest and conviction as a drug dealer.
What can you do within your home to make things safe? First, explain to your children that prescription drugs are only safe for the person whose name is on the label, and that the medicine is only to be used for certain medical conditions. Keep your medications locked up so that young people cannot access them and keep a count your pills so that you know if some are missing. Do not keep old, outdated medicines around your home where they could be used or taken and sold.
Unintentional poisoning from prescription medications is on the rise in North Carolina. Since 1999, nearly 4,500 people have died from prescription poisoning.
Safe Kids Henderson- Vance, the Five County Mental Health Authority, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, and the city and county Fire Departments will be conducting Operation Medicine Drop next week. During the program, you can bring your unused or expired prescription medications to certain drop-off points in Henderson and Vance County.
Time and locations for drop-offs are:
Mast Family Drug
501 South Chestnut Street
2:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Henderson Fire Department
211 Dabney Drive
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
188 Bickett Street
10:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
H. Lesley Perry Memorial Library
8:00 — 11:30 a.m.
If you have questions, call Angela Feingold at 252.430.3165 or Anne Williams at 252.430.3077.