Each state is considering its own measures to stop illegal prescription drug abuse. In Tennessee, however, significantly increased usage of a national prescription database tool means it may not be as easy as it used to be to get prescription drugs – especially hydrocodone.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has teamed up with state and local law enforcement, government, public health, and community organizations to establish the first National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. On Saturday, September 25, 2010, Americans across the country will be able to return unused, unwanted, and expired prescription medications at several participating locations in their communities in an effort to prevent prescription drug diversion and abuse. Between 10:00am to 2:00pm, anyone from the community can anonymously return any unused prescription pills to authorities for free.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed a strategy on Thursday in an effort to help curb alcohol abuse, which includes getting tougher with companies that market alcohol on social media sites like Facebook. The strategy would also raise alcohol taxes and impose minimum pricing for alcoholic beverages.
Four decades after President Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs," the White House on Tuesday announced a shift in national drug policy that would treat illegal drug use more as a public health issue and plunge more resources into prevention and treatment.
At the Acme Bar and Grill in downtown Annapolis, MD, women making a trip to the restroom are greeted by a life-sized image of a drunken woman slumped on the ground, a beer can in one hand. Men are met by a tattooed man sprawled out over a stall, just as he is about to vomit. These cutout images help remind customers not to drive and drive, and they refer them to a website: www.duiis4losers.com.
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This week, Minnesota launched a state database that tracks uses of Vicodin, OxyContin, and other narcotic painkillers with abuse potential. Beginning Monday, pharmacies were required to report data on addictive drugs to the Minnesota Prescription Monitoring Program. By late March, doctors, dentists and pharmacists will be able to tap into the system to identify patients who get too many habit-forming medicines.
As part of an expanded reality-TV-style program aimed at combating drunk driving, high school students across New York City will hear 911 calls from drunk-driving crashes, watch gory videos, and listen to convicted felons.
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With the Ignition Project, teenagers get a dose of reality as they make their way through a life maze that helps them learn how to make good choices.
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With the rise in drug and alcohol abuse among teens, three organizations are undertaking an online educational campaign to encourage parents and children of military families to talk about substance abuse.
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Teenagers who are taught the dangers of drug use at home are 42 percent less likely to use drugs, according to www.theantidrug.com. The site also reports that 2 out of 3 teens believe they would lose the trust and respect of their parents if they tried drugs. It comes as no surprise, then, that parents are the “anti-drug” in question. The link is strong between parents who skillfully communicate the dangers of drugs and kids who resist the temptation to try them.
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