Published: October 03, 2008 03:17 pm         

Make fighting drug use first priority

I recently attended a drug forum at the Elliottville Baptist Church – and just as other concerned citizens at the meeting – I am sick of the prescription drug problem that’s eating away at our communities.

It’s no secret that we have a huge concern on our hands. It seems that five out of 10 people are hooked on prescription pain killers these days and are traveling to other states to get the stuff and bring it back here in order to feed their habits and sell them on the streets.

What should be done about it? I personally don’t think it can be stopped unless the drug companies are forced to quit making it. I had one person to ask me, “What about those who really need the drugs?” Well, I don’t know.

Certainly with all the technology we have, another form of pain medicine (non-narcotic) could be made to help people suffering from serious injuries or cancer.

Here’s a little pain pill 101 – Hydrocodone, the drug most dealers are trafficking right now, is a semi-synthetic opiod and is of the trademarks drugs, including Vicodin, Lorcet and Loratab.

Then there’s OxyContin that is a trade name of OxyCodone and popular among many drug addicts. Percocet and Percodan also are trade names of OxyCodone. As many of you may already know, OxyContin is often called Hillbilly Heroin.

OxyCodone is the generic form of Roxicodone, which is known on the streets as “Blue Dots” and “Dirty 30s” and a huge drug coming out of Florida.

And as with most pills, OxyContin tablets are to be swallowed whole. However abusers ingest the drug in various ways including chewing or crushing the tablets and snorting the powder.

And addicts have a new way of getting their high a bit faster and keeping it longer. The method is called “Browning” where they insert the tablets into their… umm…bottom half.

Anyway, as long as these drugs are out there, addicts are going to get them. Our jails are completely full (tax dollars feeding them) and the largest percent of the inmates are in on drug charges. When you hear about robberies, burglaries, murders and other crimes, they all seem to involve trafficking in a controlled substance. If you don’t believe me just read the courthouse news.

When a person will risk his or her life to steal copper wiring or trade sex for a couple of pain pills – they are messed up.

I’m sure every person that reads this can say they are in some way or other affected by this epidemic. It could be a friend, a neighbor, a family member – or even you – addicted to painkillers.

My oldest brother died in 2001 from an overdose of OxyContin and my only sister is an addict. She just spent 60 days in jail for being caught in possession of a controlled substance. I also have a very good friend who was just sentenced to prison for multiple charges of trafficking.

My friend got on the stuff and couldn’t get off. Although before she hit rock bottom, she was out begging, borrowing and stealing to get her next fix. This girl has the most wonderful parents in the world who are devastated and can’t figure out what happened.

I have heard some people say drug or alcohol addictions are products of the way a person is raised. I’m not sure about that. But I do believe much of it stems from low self-esteem caused by some sort of trauma, abuse or other negative situations a person has encountered. My friend has always had a serious weight problem and has never felt good about her own self-being.

I think years of worrying about what others thought of her, led my friend to seek a way to feel better. Maybe that’s why she chose drugs.

My sister has been locked up several times, and gone through numerous drug rehabs. Nothing has worked for her. She gets out and goes right back at it. She did suffer a traumatic situation as a teenager, and I do believe that is a big part of her problem. My brother also suffered a horrific situation as a young boy in which haunted him until the day he took his own life. I know we all have choices, as some make good ones while others don’t.

We have to work on getting the drugs out of our communities and then work on saving those who have become addicted.

The only solution I have is stop making the drugs. If they can’t get it, they can’t do it. Yeah, I’m sure some other problem will pop up later, but we can deal with that when it happens.

Right now, you all have to agree that hydrocodone, OxyCodone and OxyContin are the killers rocking our communities. If the companies are forced to stop making the stuff, the dirty doctors can’t prescribe the prescriptions and the dealers can’t sell the poison to our loved ones.

I do hope we can continue with the drug forums in Rowan, Carter and Elliott counties. It’s important, and just as Pastor Tim Rhodes said – it must be our first priority.