Published: April 24, 2008 12:20 pm            

We are the drug dealers now

When I began my series on teenagers and prescription drugs in February, I had no idea what I would find.

I’d been thinking of writing a series on prescription drugs since my last series on drug court and the opportunity fell in my lap.

The timing was perfect when Actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental prescription overdose.

A national advertising campaign had recently launched addressing the growing problem of prescription drugs and teenagers.

One of the advertisements that grabbed me was the one with the teenager sitting at a table pointing out one pill is for high blood pressure, one for this, one for that. It gets right to the heart of the issue. Teenagers are getting their pills from us.

And of course they are with the “quick fix” mentality we’ve grown accustomed to. We’re such a fast moving society that there’s just no time for pain, for anxiety, for anything if it makes you uncomfortable.

Don’t have enough energy? There’s a pill for that (not to

mention the hundreds of energy drinks and concoctions loaded with caffeine).

Can’t get to sleep? Hey, I got a pill for that.

Speaking in public make you nervous? Well don’t worry. We’ve got something for that, too.

And the advertisements.

There are ads for high blood pressure, cholesterol, indigestion, heart problems, diabetes. And have you listened to the side effects? “It may cause stomach bleeding or your eye might fall out.” Who would ask their doctor for that?

And we can’t forget the impotency drugs. But if it lasts more than four hours, go to the doctor. Of course, you could always call your friends and brag.

But all joking aside, we’re bombarded with these advertisements on a daily basis, and so are your kids.

Prescription drugs are the second most abused drug in the nation.

By the time a student reaches the eighth grade, one out of every 10 has experimented with prescription drugs.

Almost no teenager is ever prescribed a narcotic, so they’re getting them from friends or family members.

And they know which ones to get.

It’s so easy for kids to slip just one or two out of grandma’s prescription bottle and no one would be the wiser.

It makes me think of the advertisement where the drug dealer on the street corner has no customers. Kids don’t have to seek out illegal street drugs. It’s estimated the use of prescriptions is higher than even marijuana. How ironic. Kids don’t need the drug dealer anymore.

We are the drug dealers now.

Bet you never thought about it that way before, have you?

They’re getting their drugs through our own medicine

cabinets.

The good thing about where kids are getting their drugs is we can put a stop to it.

How easy it would be for all of us to go home and lock up our prescription medications.

How easy it is to talk to your teeangers about prescription drugs and let them know your pills will be locked up and

counted.

I hope I’ve opened your eyes to one of the biggest problems facing our future generations. Mine certainly are.

So let’s do something about it.

Not only can we take stock of what’s in our medicine

cabinets, we can clean out what’s unncessary.

I was able to get my boss on board to host the Mayes County Medicine Cabinet Cleanout with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office.

It wasn’t hard really. She loved the idea of not only

informing our readers about a problem, but attempting to make a difference.

Sheriff Frank Cantey was approached to control the event and was more than happy to jump on board.

So I challenge you all to go home, find your prescriptions and determine what’s necessary to keep. Lock up the ones you still need and bring the others to our Medicine Cabinet Cleanout.

Bring your expired, unwanted medications to the Mayes County Fairgrounds on Monday, May 12, from 4 to 7 p.m. Just drive through and drop off the medications to the Sheriff’s Office personnel on site. They will properly dispose of the

medication for you.

I think it’s a great way to get active, to not sit on the sideline wondering what you could do. We can all do something.

Pushin’ Pills is an important series which I thought deserved my time and attention. I’m glad you considered it important enough to give it yours.

Isn’t it fantastic that we can really make a difference?

Don’t be the drug dealer anymore.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.