Phil Ammann
Prescription drug abuse has affected the lives of teens and young adults in drastic ways. Kids are abusing and even becoming addicted to pills often found in the medicine cabinets at their own homes.
Across the country, we are at risk of losing thousands of kids and young adults to drug overdoses from medically prescribed pain relievers. It is clear that every step must be taken to combat this growing epidemic.
The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids has made addressing the epidemic a top priority. Our national initiative, the Medicine Abuse Project, has worked to raise awareness of prescription drug abuse among parents, while also advocating for our representatives to enact common-sense policies to help stop children from misusing and abusing medications.
While we believe that educating families about the dangers and signs of prescription drug abuse is the first line of defense, we realize that a comprehensive approach is vital. Fortunately, there are additional tools that can help to prevent abuse in the first place, such as opioids with abuse-deterrent properties (OADPs).
OADPs are prescription opioids that are much harder to misuse and abuse and could help save lives. These safer pills have been endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and identified as a priority in the efforts to combat prescription drug abuse. Not only do OADPs have the potential to save many lives, but they could also help provide the U.S. with nearly $100 million in criminal justice and $450 million in health-care cost savings.
Florida’s legislators have consistently shown a strong commitment to combat prescription drug abuse. They have shut down pill mills, made it more difficult for potential abusers to go to a doctor shopping for pills, prevented overdose deaths through increased access to naloxone, passed Good Samaritan laws, created the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, and during this last session, voted unanimously to increase access to abuse-deterrent opioids.
We applaud the Legislature for taking action and urge Gov. Rick Scott to sign Senate Bill 422 into law.
The Partnership hopes that more states will follow Florida’s lead and pass similar laws. We will not stand for this trend of abuse to continue and must come together to eradicate it. Every parent must become educated about the signs of abuse, every teen must learn about the consequences of abusing medication, and every state must enact policies to provide communities with the tools to combat prescription drug abuse.
Opioids with abuse-deterrent properties are one step to help prevent prescription drug abuse and we thank the Legislature for passing Senate Bill 422 to make these medications more readily available.
***
Marcia Lee Taylor is President & CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing substance abuse among adolescents by supporting families and engaging with teens. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
