U Need 2 Know

North Hawaii Drug-Free Coalition

Killer pills: who’s at fault?

In early January, a Santa Barbara physician, Dr. Julio Diaz, was arrested on Federal drug trafficking charges. Known as the “Candy Man,” Diaz frequently prescribed powerful painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Norco and other drugs.

One area hospital reported over 400 emergency room visits by patients of Diaz between 2009 and 2010. According to a January 5th article in the Washington Post, he has been linked to 12 drug-related-deaths-eleven by drug overdose and one by natural causes with drug abuse listed as a contributing factor.

In a much more famous case last November, Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. Murray admitted that he administered a cocktail of drugs to Jackson, culminating with a dose of the hospital-grade anesthetic Propofol. Although reports vary, Jackson may have been taking large amounts of other drugs, including Demerol, Dilaudid, Vicodin, Soma, Xanax, Soloft, Paxil and Prilosec.

But is it the doctor’s fault? That question will be debated in courtrooms and public forums for months and years to come. It’s a good question, one that makes an easy conversation-starter, a teachable moment, when you take time to talk to kids about drugs.

You don’t have to be rich and famous to get prescription drugs and you don’t have to get them from a doctor. In fact, most users say they were able to pilfer pills from the medicine cabinet at home or a friend’s house.

It’s reported to be the fastest-growing type of drug abuse in the nation, and Hawaii is not immune. A recent news story on KHON included an interview with Bobby Newman, Narconon Hawaii Executive Director.

“7,000 kids a day try prescription drugs in the US, and statistically speaking approximately 20% of those are going to become addicted, 1 in 5," said Newman. “Xanax, Klonopin, Benzodiazepines, Valium… {users of} drugs like those have tripled in last 10 years. That’s pretty scary."

Because they’re prescribed by a doctor, people tend to think pills are safer than street drugs. Fairly easy to come by, to pocket, trade and mix, users minimize the risks by giving pills cool, harmless-sounding names like Skittles, Vitamin V, Redbirds, Blue Heavens, Yellow Jackets, Rainbows, Dollies, Fat Albert, Kibbles & Bits, Pineapple, M&Ms and many, many others.

The dangers of pill-taking increase radically when they are mixed-such as at “bowling” or “pharming” parties, when everyone brings a handful of pills and tosses them into a communal bowl. Unknown doses of different pills combined with cough medicine, “normal” prescriptions, allergy medication and more, washed down with alcohol can have severe, even deadly consequences.

What can I do about it?

First, take time to talk. Who hasn’t heard the Michael Jackson story? How many pop culture icons and celebrities have died from an overdose of pills? These current news items are easy opportunities to ask young people what they think, and to really listen to their answers. It’s also a way to express your own feelings and remind them that taking drugs is not OK with you. Kids whose parents or caregivers talk with them about drugs and alcohol are half as likely to start using them.

Second, use these three simple steps to help reduce access to prescription drugs in your home. Remember most users say they got their first pills from a friend’s house or their own.

1. Monitor. Be aware of the prescription drugs in your home, for yourself and other family members, including seniors. Count pills; know what you have and how much you have. Don’t share pills or take someone else’s prescription.

2. Secure. Keep your medications in an out-of-the-way place, not the kitchen cabinet or the guest bathroom. If necessary, invest in a lockable box.

3. Dispose. Safely dispose of any prescription or over-the-counter medicines that have expired or you don’t need any more. Ask your pharmacist if they accept unwanted medicines, or what they suggest for disposal.

When it comes to death by killer pills, the important question may not be about who’s at fault, but who can step up and help prevent the next one-and that answer may be: all of us.

The North Hawaii Drug-Free Coalition, a project of Five Mountains Hawaii, is a regional volunteer organization committed to developing strong, sustaining relationships for Healthy Communities Choosing to Live Drug Free. For more information, visit www.fivemountains.org/nhdfc.