Prescription drug abuse
A bill
introduced in the House of Representatives would ban from circulation
certain pharmaceuticals that could
be easily abused as recreational drugs.
The proposed
legislation is aimed at variants of addictive painkillers and other oral
medications.
Reps. Bill
Keating, D-Mass., and Hal Rogers, R-Ky., made the announcement at a news
conference on Capitol Hill today. Keating said the legislation, if passed,
would help curb a “silent epidemic” of prescription drug abuse.
“If this were
the swine flu or any other kind of disease, this would be making headlines all
over the country,” he said. “But because of the stigma that is often attached
to this, it is not.
“The increase in
abuse and deaths attached to these prescription drug overdoses is occurring at
a rate even more than heroin and cocaine,” he said, citing a recent study from
the University of Michigan on teenage narcotic use.
The bill would
require the Food and Drug Administration to refuse to approve any new pharmaceuticals
that did not use formulas resistant to tampering. For example, pills should not
be able to be easily crushed into powders that could be snorted, or melted down
into a liquid form that could be taken through injection.
Called the Stop
the Tampering of Prescription Pills Act, or STOPP, the law would also apply to
generic brands already on the market if their brand-name drugs had adopted
tamper-resistant formulas.
Keating
demonstrated using two pills and a hammer. The pill that could be easily smashed
into a fine dust would be banned under the new guidelines. The pill that
retained its shape would not.
Michael Barnes
at the Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence was present for the
announcement, and spoke with ABC News after the demonstration. He explained
that the tamper-resistant pill in the demonstration would shatter into large,
solid chunks if enough pressure was applied – not a form that could be snorted.
A tremendous
amount of force would be required to turn it into a powder. Conversely, if the
pill was melted, it would revert to a gelatinous liquid that could not be
forced through a syringe, Barnes said.
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It’s
an epidemic that’s getting kids hooked and the consequences are lethal.
The
number of teens using and abusingprescription drugs has exploded.
They are passing out pills at parties and sharing with friends.
Two-thirds
of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them from friends or family. It
usually starts with one pill, swiped from the family medicine cabinet, turning
parents into drug dealers and most don’t even know it.
“I
didn’t sleep. I barely ate. I just used around the clock”
The
Fairfax County woman, who is only being identified by her first name to protect
her privacy, became an addict at 16 years old. She rattled off a variety of
pills she has used: roxiecodone (roxies), benzodiazepine (benzos), xanax
(xanies), vicodin,
methadone and opana.
She
got her first high by stealing the meds from her grandmother. She would swap
pills with friends at so called “pharm parties” where the pharmaceuticals were
as common as alcohol.
“It’s
kind of like BYOB, except BYOP, bring your own prescriptions,” Ally described.
Studies
show one in six kids have used prescription drugs to get high and more people
die from prescription drug overdoses than heroin or cocaine. Experts say
illegal prescription drugs are being bought, sold and traded in every school,
public or private, and in every neighborhood.
“I
could get it easily in school,” said Ally. “By the time I reached college, it’s
everywhere.”
Four
years after taking her first pill, she just completed her third stint in drug
rehab through a program with Phoenix House. The organization treats thousands
of addicts with programs in 11 states, including Maryland and Virginia.
Our Las Vegas based
Drug and Alcohol treatment programs will assist you in your recovery from
chemical dependency, whether it be alcohol, cocaine, marijuana,
methamphetamine, opiates, or other addictive substances. We offer Chronic
Pain, Detox, Intensive Outpatient, and Residential Treatment Programs.
Solutions Recovery, Inc. is able to assist you in your recovery. For more
information please visit ou
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