The Centers for Disease Control tonight saying prescription drug abuse is an epidemic… Jackson County one of the worst places in Oregon.
Across the valley, recovery centers are facing this particular addiction more and more.
A pill popping epidemic.
“For norcos, percoset – it costs anywhere around 4-5 dollars a pill” says Tom “Spider” of Medford.
It may cost you up to 10 bucks to buy a pain pill off the street, but here in Jackson County people
are paying for it.
This as Keziah Henchon, the Director of the Phoenix Counseling Center, says prescription drug abuse is becoming a nationwide epidemic.
“In America we have this thing of quick relief. Take a pill and everything and everything will go away,” she says. “In the case of addictive drugs, it’s not the solution.”
2.4 million American’s annually abuse Opiates and Benzoates like Oxycotton, Oxycodon, Percoset, and Vicoden.
“Those are typically doctor prescribed. They can get the prescription raised over and over, because it’s not working,” continues Henchon.
Residential Clinical Manager for ARC, Rob Skidmore, tells us, “Sometimes because people find it in a medicine cabinet they think it’s somehow safe, when in face it can be deadly.”
Once hooked people will go even further for the high.
“It can lead to forging prescriptions, stealing drugs,” remarks Henchon.
New reports show that teenagers are particularly susceptible because these drugs are cheap and easily accessible.
“Kids take them from their parent’s/grandparents medicine cabinet and pass them around,” concludes Henchon.
A problem, that like the drugs, many feel is still getting passed under the table.
Now, this Saturday is National Drug Take-back Day. You can drop off your expired prescription drugs at the Medford and Central Point police departments from 10-2 pm.
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