Leaders in prescription drug abuse

The Norman Transcript

March 08, 2008 12:23 am

— A shocking anti-drug commercial shows teenagers rifling through home medicine cabinets in search of others' prescription drugs. They're destined to abuse them and they're not looking for antibiotics either.
That commercial could easily have been filmed in Oklahoma. The federal government this past week said Oklahoma leads the nation in non-medical use of prescription painkillers.
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released its report on states' ratings this past week. The report, based on 2005-2006 data, said 6.7 percent of Oklahomans age 12 and older abused prescription painkillers.
While some cities concern themselves about enacting social hosting laws, parents are apparently leaving drugs of choice readily available.
State officials are trying to do a better job of tracking prescription abuse. But the best prevention is for parents and other adults to keep such prescription drugs out of the reach of teenagers.