Drug Abuse Kentucky: Prescription Drug Abuse in America

In isolated parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia poverty is on the rise and along with the growing rate of poverty, drug dealing and drug abuse is also on the rise. As if illegal drug trafficking in these parts wasn’t enough, the Appalachian regions’ prescription drug abuse rates are going through the roof.

Prescription drugs such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, xanax and valium are abused on a daily basis. Lately, the Appalachian governments have become more firm about prescription deals which has led to addicts and traffickers migrating to more tolerant states such as Florida and Georgia to get purchase more drugs.

So many resources have gone into stopping dissemination and taking legal action against drug crimes that there is not a lot of time and money left over for creating recovery programs… the only lasting answer to drug addiction. Only 5% of the people in this area who needs drug rehabilitation are able to get it. This leaves hundreds of thousands anguishing through substance abuse with no help available.

In these three states, 648,000 people are abusing prescription painkillers each year. Along with one of the highest rates of abuse in the country, the rate of abuse is also increasing faster than anywhere else in the country. These prescription substances are highly addictive and when their stock runs out, many people buy drugs off the street to avoid withdrawal.

In some areas of this region, drug overdoses resulting in death are higher than that of traffic fatalities. The chief drugs related to these overdoses are prescription painkillers. In Virginia, deaths from a drug overdose increased 550 percent over a ten year period and in Kentucky, 164 percent. A connection has been discovered that the more rural the town, the quicker and steeper the rise of overdoses from drugs such as painkillers and sedatives.

What happens to people who live in these parts is that they get stuck in a brutal cycle of addiction, stints in jail, visits to the hospital and attempts at sobriety. In order to make a change in this area, widespread drug rehabilitation and education must happen.

Prescription Drug Abuse in Kentucky – A brief video featuring the stories of Sarah Shay and Savannah Kissick, two girls from Morehead, Ky. who died of prescription drug overdoses. (Music: Kevin MacLeod)

House Passes Stumbo's Bill Limiting Prescription Drug Abuse

Filed under: Drug Abuse Kentucky

LIVINGSTON COUNTY, KY (3/9/12) – House Speaker Greg Stumbo's legislation to make it easier to identify and stop prescription drug abuse easily passed the Kentucky House of Representatives on Thursday, March 8, 2012, moving a top priority of his, …
Read more on SurfKY News

Abuse is devastating in Appalachia

Filed under: Drug Abuse Kentucky

At the heart of the matter are the abuses of OxyContin in Central Appalachia, more alcohol and drug use among youth in rural areas and limited access to substance abuse treatment programs. Kentucky is a severely depressed state.
Read more on SalemNews.net

Substance abuse bill passes

Filed under: Drug Abuse Kentucky

Earl Ray Tomblin and his staff saved the substance abuse bill. The bill is described as among the most comprehensive substance abuse legislation passed by legislators. But it was hung up on the medicine used in production of methamphetamine.
Read more on Huntington Herald Dispatch

From Twitter:

House Passes Stumbo’s Bill Limiting Prescription Drug Abuse http://t.co/63jTY7Nm – by knowdrugs (Sunil)

From Twitter:

RT @kygov: Kentucky House Passes Comprehensive Bill to Combat Prescription Drug Abuse: House Bill 4 heads to Senate for con… http://t.co/2BXgZNtG – by NewsGraphic (NewsGraphic)

From Twitter:

RT @kygov: Kentucky House Passes Comprehensive Bill to Combat Prescription Drug Abuse: House Bill 4 heads to Senate for con… http://t.co/2BXgZNtG – by GClabes (Gene Clabes)