ATLANTA, Ga. — Narconon of Georgia, along with many local community efforts, have cleaned medicine cabinets of thousands of pounds of un-used, potentially lethal prescription drugs. Narconon of Georgia has, for the past several years, seen a rapidly rising trend in prescription drug abuse. According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, every day 2,500 youngsters age 12 to 17 try a painkiller for the first time and prescription drugs are more abused by teens than any illicit street drug, except for marijuana.

Narconon of Georgia, in conjunction with local law enforcement, has spearheaded the effort in Georgia to make people more aware of the dangers of prescription drug abuse and educating teens and parents alike.

“The drug education we provide to schools, churches, and local support groups has shifted some-what in the past few years,” comments Gordon Weinand, Public Relations for Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia. “Whereas education on the signs of cocaine and heroin abuse are still needed, we are now focusing on warning children and parents that prescription drugs, misused, can be just as deadly and addictive.”

A recent survey by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) found that one in five teens can get prescription drugs within an hour and the most common source is their own home or friends. Many feel that taking prescription drugs or over-the-the-counter medications such as cough medicine to get high is safe, an idea that is very dangerous.

One idea that is gaining momentum is the idea of a “prescription drug buy-back.” Sheriff’s departments and local communities offer to “buy back” unused prescription drugs, thus taking them out of circulation. Commonly known as “Operation Medicine Cabinet,” communities are taking unused prescription drugs out of homes where they can be abused, and safely disposed of.

Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Georgia (www.drugsno.com), is pleased with the results. “While we see more people coming in for prescription drug abuse, it is gratifying to see communities around the country taking action to educate and prevent the abuse of prescription drugs.”

Prescription drug buy-back and drop-off programs have sprung up across the country:
* Pasco County Florida
* Warren County Ohio
* Rowan County, North Carolina
* Collier County Florida
* Lubbock, Texas
* Scott County Iowa
* Broward County Florida
* Rock Island County Iowa
* Watauga County, North Carolina
* L.A. County, California, drug-drop-off program
* New Jersey DEA even has a state-wide drug-drop-off program with their own website.

The goal of these drug buy-back programs is to enlighten the community on the dangers of prescription drug abuse and to provide a safe means to curtail it. Communities have reported over 40,000 pills dropped of; one community reported over a ton of prescription medications turned in.

Some kids will already need treatment and their families will be provided with information as to how to get it.

For more information on “Operation Medicine Cabinet” and how you can have this campaign in your community, contact Narconon of Georgia at 770-379-0208. www.drugsno.com .

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Aria C. Munro works in the book publishing industry and has been a content editor for the Neotrope News Network since 2004. Her black video iPod is most often shuffling Invader Zim episode vids and Thomas Dolby or Dead Can Dance tunez.
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