Prescription drug abuse in the news

Over at Teenology 101, they discuss teen mental health, pain and prescription drug abuse.  They refer to a new study that shows that young people who take opiates like Oxycontin for chronic pain are more than twice as likely to become addicted to the drugs if they have a mental health condition

Sunday's New York Times included an article, Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill, about teenagers who abuse prescription medications meant to treat ADHD so that they may focus on studying to get good grades.  The Times' Room for Debate section features differing opinions about prescribing medications for ADHD and their link to drug abuse.

Over at the JoinTogether blog, a Congressman from Kentucky writes about his efforts to prevent prescription drug abuse.

The MSNBC website includes and article entitled, "Opiate addiction: How prescription painkillers pave the way to heroin."

The National Drug Control Strategy puts a focus on prevention prescription drug abuse.  In response to a prescription drug abuse problem designated as an epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House is implementing of the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan.

Locally, the Take Back Your Meds campaign continues to advocate for a statewide medicine return program.