AHS Views

In a period of just three months, 16 people died from drug overdoses in Barrow County, Georgia. 13 of them died from an overdose of prescription drugs and the majority of those were related to OxyContin. Many of those lives could have been saved if they’d received the addiction help they needed.

A prescription drug addiction counsellor commented that prescription painkiller abuse is rampant in Barrow and in other areas of metro Atlanta.

A child advocate from a Barrow County agency said that more and more of the parents of kids she’s trying to help have parents who are addicted to prescription drugs. “The parents are usually sleeping or high or out getting the drugs,” she said.

Prescription drugs kind of creep up on you. People think they’re safe because they come from a doctor. But they’re just as dangerous and addictive as street drugs. Unfortunately, many people don’t find that out until they’re already hooked.

Make sure anyone you know who is taking prescription painkillers gets the addiction help services they need before their problem becomes serious.