Prescription and over-the-counter drugs can be just as dangerous as illegal drugs

It has been three-and-a-half years since my son, Jason, died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs that he was abusing. He was 19 years old and in college studying to be a pharmacist. If that isn't ironic enough, as his mother, I had what I believed to be a safety net - I work for a substance abuse prevention organization.

I began working at the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) of Middlesex County Inc. when Jason was 6 years old. At the time, the thought of substance abuse never crossed my mind as something that could hit home. Thirteen years later, it hit home in a way I never would have dreamed.

Since Jason's death, I have worked to raise awareness of this issue. Prescription drug abuse has become a national epidemic that I continually attempt to bring back to the neighborhood. Telling Jason's story - my family's story - illustrates how pervasive this devastating phenomenon is. The recent news of Al Gore's son's arrest for possession of prescription drugs has brought this issue to the nation's attention. It further illustrates how no family is immune to this problem.

Teens and young adults are abusing prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs today at alarming rates. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that nearly one in five teens reports abusing a prescription medication to get high; one in 10 has abused cough medicine to get high. Just as alarming are the attitudes and perceptions that perpetuate this behavior. Two in five teens (40 percent) believe that Rx medicines - even if they are not prescribed by a doctor - are much safer to use than illegal drugs. With the majority of teens (56 percent, or 13.4 million) agreeing that Rx medicines are easier to get than illegal drugs, teens see these substances as readily available highs.

Ease of availability, lack of knowledge, and misperception of their safety equals a prescription for disaster. This is why NCADD of Middlesex County Inc. is presenting Rx for Solutions: National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month town hall meeting.

On Aug. 15, Middlesex County College will host this timely event to help educate and raise awareness of the problem of prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse. More important, we aim to identify solutions and strategies to address this issue. State Sen. Barbara Buono will moderate a panel of experts who will shed light on the subject from a number of perspectives, and audience members will be encouraged to join in the dialogue with questions and ideas.

I strongly encourage anyone with young people in their lives to attend his very important forum. They will gain valuable information that could save a life and will have an opportunity to lend their voice to the issue and contribute to the solution.

Dinner will be provided at 6 p.m., followed by the panel discussion from 7-8:30 p.m. Attendance is free, but registration is required by calling (732) 254-3344 or logging on to www.ncadd-middlesex.org.

Linda Surks

coalition coordinator

NCADD of Middlesex County Inc.

East Brunswick