- Last Updated on Thursday, 31 January 2013 22:58
The non-medical use of prescription drugs contributes to nearly 40,000 deaths and almost $200 billion in health-care costs annually. In Westmoreland County more than 64 drug over dose deaths were reported in the first nine months of the last year.
While heroin accounts for a large portion of overdoses, Westmoreland County Coroner states that prescription pain killers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin, have taken over as leading killer.
Our young people consider prescription drug abuse as a “low risk” way to get high. It has been found that those 12 years and older who abused pain relievers in the past year have obtained them from friends and family for free, including from their home medicine cabinets. While youths and young adults, aged 12 to 25, are the most frequent abusers; this problem affects all age groups, all ethnic groups, men, women and children, and it is destroying lives and killing people. America has a prescription drug abuse problem that’s affecting families and communities all across the nation.
The Practice of K. Gosai & A.J. Gandhi, MD; Monessen School District; Monongahela Valley Hospital; Jefferson Regional Medical Center; District Attorney John Peck; Steve Kaufman Department of Justice; Kenneth Bacha Westmoreland County Coroner; Colleen Hughes Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission; Dr. Yesh Navalgund and www.dnapain.com and Supervisory Special Agent Robert Hill, DEA are putting together multiple programs to raise awareness to this epidemic that continues to spread.
The ever growing problem of prescription drug abuse and addiction is increasing in the Mon Valley region affecting the lives of our youth as well as their friends and families. We invite you to come and learn how it is still affecting you in ways that may not be so apparent. Please call 724-483-6300 for more information.
The Monessen Drug Summit will be held on Wednesday, February 27 at Monessen High School at 6:30 p.m. The following individuals are slated to speak:
Robert Hill, Special Agent DEA
Steve Kaufman, Department of Justice
Kenneth Bacha, Westmoreland County Coroner
Ashley- real life experience
John Peck, Westmoreland County District Attorney
Dr. Yesh Navalgund, DNA Advanced Pain Treatment Center
Colleen Hughes, Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission
