Prescription Drug Abuse Getting Worse

An update from May 16, 2011 says that 90 percent of the inmates at the minimum-security prison Henryville Correctional Facility are drug addicts. Anne Terwilliger, the substance abuse coordinator said, "I would say everyone here has struggled with addiction at some point in their life.” Terwilliger said that about 60 of Henryville's approximately 200 inmates have taken advantage of the program for treatment for addiction. Inmates have to want the help, and she wishes that more of them did.

Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Jake Elder commented that in almost every drug case he handles, part of the “goods” are prescription pills.

The truth is that while drugs like cocaine and meth bring drug dealers a longer prison sentence, the fastest growing drug problem is the prescription drug abuse. As an example, the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office filed 446 drug cases in the year 2009, of which 125 involved hydrocodone, 93 involved Xanax and 75 involved Oxycontin. Hydrocodone seems particularly popular along the Ohio River, for some reason.

Our state Department of Correction recently stated that they are going to place more emphasis on rehabilitation programs. There are reasons that people turn to drugs, and Terwilliger has found that many of the addicts talk about a past history of addiction, sexual abuse, or devastating grief. When they get beyond the superficial aspects of treatment and get down to the reasons behind their behavior, they are more likely to start on a path to recovery.

Prescription drugs have become a huge problem with kids who have “pill parties”and take whatever they find around their homes. It may seem fun or courageous, or just plain “different” for them to try it, but some have become addicted, and some have even died. 3-4% of the 10th and 12th graders told an Indiana Prevention Resource Center survey that they had used illegal prescription drugs recently.

Prevention is best. Maybe a program of counseling while the kids are still in high school would be beneficial to help them to sort out their difficulties before they become addicted in an effort to avoid them. Rehabilitation is awesome, but if the entire problem could be avoided, that would be best.