“We are at war, a ‘war on drugs.’”

It was impossible to grow up in the 1980s and early ‘90s without hearing this dramatic battle cry on the airwaves or in the newspapers. Although the bluster and hyperbole has faded, the conflict is still being violently waged today.

Sadly, America is losing … because we have been fighting it on the wrong front for so many years.

We were focused on South America and keeping drugs away from our borders while the real battlefields were in doctor’s offices and homes throughout small-town America as prescription drug abuse became as devastating — or worse — as drugs like cocaine and heroin that once grabbed the focus.

Medical experts across the country point out that abuse of prescription drugs has become increasingly prevalent among teens and young adults. Abuse of prescription painkillers now ranks second — behind only marijuana — as the nation’s most prevalent illegal drug problem.

Still, the war is certainly not lost.

Michigan, Ohio and other states across the country have started fighting back by closing “pill mills” and cracking down on doctors who are more concerned with lining their pockets than taking care of patients.

Locally, a number of organizations are “taking up arms” as well to strengthen the fight. The Berrien County Health Department Substance Abuse Prevention program announced earlier this week it is launching a public awareness campaign to help shine a spotlight on the problem.

The comprehensive campaign includes advertising and public relations efforts aimed at young adults, adolescents and parents in Michigan. The primary message is that misuse of prescription drugs is a very real, dangerous and growing problem in Michigan communities, according to the organization’s prepared statement.

“People in general, adolescents included, think that because these medications are prescription drugs, they are safe to take no matter what. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Kerri Teachout, substance abuse prevention supervisor at Berrien County Health Department, said in a recent release.

Law enforcement and medical professionals say the good news is that citizens — especially parents — can make a significant difference in reducing the problem.

The health department offered these tips:

> Safeguard all drugs at home. Store drugs in a secure location. Monitor quantities and control access.  Take note of how many pills are in a bottle or pill packet, and keep track of refills.

> Set clear rules for teens about prescription drug use:

> Do not share prescription drugs prescribed for you.

> Do not use drugs prescribed for someone other than you.

> Always follow the medical provider’s advice and dosages.

> Be a good role model by following these same rules with your own medicines.

> Properly dispose of old or unused drugs. Do NOT flush medications down the drain or toilet, because chemicals can pollute the water supply. Take advantage of local collection programs. Go to www.bchdmi.org to find out the location of a med return unit close to you.

> Ask friends and family to safeguard their prescription drugs as well.

> Talk to teens and young adults about the dangers of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. These are powerful drugs that, when abused, can be just as dangerous as street drugs.

“The message is simple,” Teachout said. “A prescription drug isn’t safe if it wasn’t prescribed for you.  If you’re taking a drug that was not meant for you, you are abusing that drug.”

More information and resources about prescription drug abuse are available at www.michigan.gov/doyourpart, www.drugfree.org or www.TalkSooner.org.

America faces a significant challenge to break the cycle of prescription drug addiction, but we can still win this war.

Victory will hinge on our willingness to never stop fighting for our communities.

 

Michael Caldwell is the publisher of Leader Publications LLC. He can be reached at (269) 687-7700 or by email at mike.caldwell@leaderpub.com.