prescriptionPrescription drug abuse has expanded rapidly all over the country, but almost nowhere is this wildfire of substance abuse burning faster than in Oklahoma. For a variety of reasons, Oklahoma citizens seem to be getting addicted to prescription medications (and painkillers in particular) faster than the residents of other states. Oklahoma often leads measurements of where prescription drug abuse exists the most.

In order to help prevent even more residents of an area from becoming addicted to these drugs, individual employers, schools, community groups and other organizations can take action. Working to prevent prescription drug abuse is a vital activity for most organizations, as having employees that use drugs can seriously lower the productivity and efficacy of your entire business or group.

Many organizations try to use drug testing or other methods to prevent prescription drug abuse (and the abuse of illegal street drugs), but this can be a tricky proposition. If testing and screening aren’t performed correctly, employees that are using drugs can claim they are being discriminated against and sue their employers for significant sums. In order to prevent outcomes like this, we can all try to prevent prescription addiction from occurring in the first place by addressing it on a local level.

Educating Young People on Prescription Addiction

Education on the dangers of prescription drug addiction can and should begin in schools. Young people listen to their teachers. If drug abuse is discussed in a manner that informs and provides young people with the info they need instead of just giving them the arbitrary-sounding command “Just say no,” then young people can start to understand why they shouldn’t abuse prescription drugs.

They usually understand well enough how street drugs like cocaine and meth can be bad for their health, but there is a tendency for young people to look at painkiller pills or ADHD medication and think “Oh, that’s medicine from the doctor, it must be safe.” The truth is that these drugs can be just as dangerous a dealer would offer your kids on a street corner, but your kids have to know that first in order to stay safe and healthy.

Spread Awareness to Adults

Young people aren’t the only ones that can make bad decisions about prescription drugs. After all, most of the people that are addicted to these drugs are adults, and they became addicted because they didn’t realize how powerful the drugs they were using really were, or how quickly you could become dependent on them.

Local newspapers across Oklahoma can run stories on the dangers of prescription drugs in order to spread awareness. Individual employers can deliver seminars to their employees that discuss exactly how prescription medications can affect the mind and body. By working to get this info out to adults, they can start to make the decision not to use these powerful pills in the first place, or to use them safely.

Use Drug Courts Instead of Prison Time

The traditional approach for an addict that is arrested for prescription drug crimes is to simply put that addict in jail. Judges in the past have been far too willing to simply throw addicts in prison to be rid of them.

A newer trend is using “drug courts.” In these set-ups, a judge works with the addict to get him into a drug rehab program instead of just banishing him to jail. These drug rehab programs are much more effective at helping prescription drug addicts to stop using and to start living sober lives that then keep them out of prison. If your community doesn’t already have a drug court set up, talk to your local representatives and demand that they make the change.

Reference:

Ok.gov: http://ok.gov/odmhsas/documents/PR%20RxAbuse-FactSheet.pdf

Employerlinc.com: http://employerlinc.com/2014/09/prescription-drug-addiction-medical-review-officers-can-help-eliminate-disability-discrimination-claim/