prescription drug abuse

Turning the Tide on Prescription Drug Abuse

By |2017-02-10T09:48:48-07:00June 8th, 2016|Prevention|

Arizona continues to battle the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. On average, an Arizonan dies every day from an overdose due to prescription pain relievers . We’ve been on the battle lines with partner organizations, such as the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith, and Family, the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, and the Board of Pharmacy, as part of [...]

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Tackling Prescription Drug Abuse with “Awareness. Action. Outcomes!”

By |2017-02-10T09:49:14-07:00May 20th, 2015|Behavioral Health, Prevention|

Arizona, like every state in the country, is battling an epidemic of people misusing and abusing prescription drugs.  We’ve been working with several partners on the Arizona Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse Initiative since 2012 to reduce the problem in Arizona. The Initiative team  recently developed a comprehensive toolkit designed to assist communities to tackle prescription drug abuse at the [...]

Reducing the Painkiller Body-Count

By |2017-02-10T09:49:36-07:00June 27th, 2014|Behavioral Health, General, Prevention|

Across the country prescription painkillers take out way more people than heroin and cocaine combined...  and the story is the same in Arizona.  Last year more than one person died almost every day in our state from prescription opioids... and more people died from painkiller overdoses than car crashes.  In January, I blogged about how we've joined the Association [...]

New Prevention Resources

By |2017-02-10T09:49:51-07:00February 6th, 2014|Prevention|

CDC’s 2013 Prevention Status Reports have just been released publicly on CDC’s website.  You’ll find reports specific to Arizona on topics like nutrition, physical activity, teen pregnancy, tobacco use, HIV, heart disease, motor vehicle crashes, and prescription drug abuse.  Reports include a few data indicators of how we compare to the U.S., as well as [...]

Prescription Drug Abuse III

By |2017-02-10T09:51:27-07:00November 2nd, 2011|Prevention|

I know I read like a broken record- but prescription drug misuse and abuse is a huge public health issue not just here- but nationally.  The newest edition of CDC Vital Signs presents information about prescription painkiller overdoses in the United States and highlights promising strategies for addressing the issue. Please share this information broadly with [...]

Drug Facts Week

By |2011-11-01T09:20:06-07:00November 1st, 2011|Behavioral Health, General, Prevention|

Teens and drug experts across the land will connect for the 2nd annual National Drug Facts Week this week.  The week-long event is sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)- and brings together teens and scientific experts in community events across the country to discuss scientific facts about drug abuse- including prescription drug [...]

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Trash Your Stash

By |2011-10-28T10:01:33-07:00October 28th, 2011|General, Prevention|

Prescription drugs can be safe and effective at treating illnesses- but leftovers are also tempting for experimental teens- and the misuse of narcotic prescriptions is an increasingly urgent public health problem in Arizona.  In fact, more than 1,100 Arizonans died from prescription drug poisoning from misuse and abuse last year- which is more than the number [...]

Fed’s Release New Plan to Control Prescription Drug Abuse

By |2011-06-14T08:08:12-07:00June 14th, 2011|General|

More than 1,100 Arizonans died from drug poisoning, which is more than the number of Arizonans that die in car accidents every year.  This isn’t just an Arizona public health crisis, it’s a national one.  Last week the federal government released a new plan to address the national prescription drug abuse epidemic and announced new [...]

Prescription Drugs – a Double Edged Sword

By |2010-12-12T08:18:08-07:00December 12th, 2010|General|

When taken as directed for legitimate medical purposes (and prescribed appropriately) prescription drugs can be safe and effective at treating illnesses and conditions. However, the increasing rates of prescription drug abuse are a growing and now urgent problem, especially among young people.  Powerful prescription drugs are often available and easily accessible in many, if not [...]

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