Jun 22, 2019
Impossible to ignore is the rising death toll in the Opioid Crisis in the United States.
- Deaths related to prescription painkiller use increased 313 percent over the past decade.
- Of all the drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2013, a
majority (almost 52%) were related to prescription
drugs. takemedsseriously.com
Why is this happening? How do opioids get in the hands of those that become addicted? Why is it increasing so fast?
Presenting at the SUPAR Conference on behalf of the Colorado
Consortium for Perscription Drug Abuse Prevention, Robert Valuck,
PhD, RPh spoke to the many reasons Colorado and the nation struggle
with the opioid crisis.
Calling it the "Perfect Storm" Dr. Valuck describes how opioids get
into the hands of people from all walks of life. He further
describes the addictive stages and the proscribed amounts that get
circulated into the American household.
Where does it end? The Colorado Consortium is using an
integrative approach working with policymakers, educators,
clinicians, treatment centers, recovering addicts and the community
to reduce the death rate and increase awareness. Is their
reason for hope?
Focusing on safe use, safe storage and safe disposal lives are
being saved and effective treatment for addiction is being
achieved. For the first time in a decade, the numbers of
deaths by opioids are decreasing rather than rising.