Prescription Drug Problem To Be Addressed At Town Hall Meeting
by Frank Lewis
9 months ago | 2435 views | 6 6 comments | 34 34 recommendations | email to a friend | print
According to information presented Oct. 21 at the Prescription Drug Overdose Epidemic regional meeting held at the Scioto County Welcome Center, in 2008, Scioto County was number two per capita in prescription drug overdose deaths out of 88 Ohio counties.

The 45694 zip code (Wheelersburg) is in the Top 10 in the United States in the number of prescriptions written for a certain prescription pain medicine.

You would be hard pressed to find anyone involved in law enforcement, the health industry, or just the average citizen on the street, who does not think Scioto County has a prescription drug problem.

That is prompting an all-out war against the illegal trafficking, and according to some authorities, dispensing of, prescription drugs.

Porter Township authorities will conduct a Prescription Drug Abuse Town Hall Meeting Monday at 6 p.m. Monday at the Porter Township Senior and Civic Center, 11725 Gallia Pike in Wheelersburg.

Lisa Roberts, regional meeting coordinator for the Portsmouth City Health Department; Hilary Griffiths, coordinator for the Tartan Times Hunger Assistance Program,, and Ed Hughes, executive director of The Counseling Center, will be joined by Scioto County Coroner Dr. Terry Johnson in a forum to discuss the issues surrounding the use of, and trafficking in, prescription drugs.

“I don’t see anyone better than the county coroner to give statistics on overdose deaths,” Porter Township Trustee Bob Walton Jr. said in reference to Johnson’s participation.

“The whole reason for the meeting is to shed light on what the problem with prescription drug abuse is actually doing to the community,” Walton said. “Some of the problems we have in our area have to do with, and are caused by, these prescription drug problems. They have to do with an increase in problems such as thefts, break-ins, and overdose deaths.”

Walton said drug abuse in the community has a far ranging effect.

“What it is doing to families and the children in the community is immoral,” Walton said. “I keep using that word ‘immoral’ because it just is.”

Griffiths will be sharing a story about a program set up at Portsmouth East High School that feeds children who do not get enough to eat at home.

Griffiths said she began to hear about students who get nothing to eat from their noon lunch at school on Friday until the school breakfast on Monday morning.

“That group sends food and hygiene packets home with children who have nothing to eat over the weekend. And they have to teach these children how to hide food from their prescription-drug-addicted parents who sell the food,” Walton said. “And it needs to stop.”

Walton also is putting out an appeal for more members of the community to support that program.

Walton said it is his hope a large number of citizens will attend the meeting to receive information on the problem of prescription drug abuse.

“I hope they will be informed, and that they will be upset, and they will want change,” Walton said. “I think we have to get our own house in order.”

Frank Lewis may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232.
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comments (6)
« Bobby2 wrote on Sunday, Nov 22 at 08:33 PM »
As for all the people who say they need the pain pills legitimately, and that the druggies are ruining it for them? Bull! I had 3 surgeries and not once did I get narcotics for the pain. You can take Ibuprofen or Tylenol like the rest of us. The reason you go to these Pill Mills is cause you can't get those drugs from a legitimate physician.
« Dana57 wrote on Sunday, Nov 22 at 01:38 PM »
Can't believe this is going on! Drug addicted parents stealing food from their children and there is an organization that is aware of it and has put into place a way for children to eat and hide the food from their low-life parents who would sell it? I have heard that they stop the church buses that take their children to church, to ask for money. What is children services for? What is law enforcement for?

Seems like the laws to protect animals are more enforced than the ones to protect our children.

« JamesHodge wrote on Thursday, Nov 19 at 11:26 PM »
This problem is here for good people the justice system though is tough on people with drug charges moreso than murderers and rapists. The problem with thus story is that the people addicted to drugs are no longer responsible for their actions the community wants to blame the doctors and the pharmacies. It is the people who need the medicine, people like me with a busted back that uses the medicine so as that we are able to function in everyday activities such as work, playing with our kids, and even getting sleep. So before you form a mob with torches to run the doctors out on a rail think about the people that do NOT misuse the medicine received that family doctors have referred them to receive. Think about us and find a way to keep the kids who forge MRI's and drug dealers who pay for 10 people to go to doctors every week out of said facilities when they are there for no good from the beginning. Maybe have an officer be there to run background checks and to check with the place the MRI is from to verify it is real and really says what it is suppose to say. I had mine faxed from the hospital here so there was no chance I added anything to mine and it could not be questioned. Yeah most only accept cash payment and that might not be good business but do you know why I know of a FAMILY DOCTOR that had seen 100's of patients with CareSource and the check written to them was for $1.00 yeah one dollar so if you want for sure money collect it at the door. The good people are going to suffer more than anyone, the people who make a living off of prescription medicine will go elsewhere to receive it and just bring it back here. This problem is not just a Scioto County problem it is everywhere!
« James WWIII wrote on Thursday, Nov 19 at 11:04 PM »
Look this area is full of people hooked on drugs that is not a shocker to anyone, but when we take the blame off of the individuals and place it on everyone else we are totally out of line. Why does everyone want to blame the doctors and the pharmacies? Are these people not responsible for their own actions? Do you think if they lived elsewhere they would not have the same problems? I really hope you know that they are doing this to themselves these doctors aren't saying here your going to take this in excess to what I write you to get your feeling of euphoria and me the doctor is to blame. If someone is going to take enough medicine to overdose their address is not going to make much difference and you know I am right. The people who cannot live and function without this pain medication are the ones who are going to suffer if you do away with the pain management facilities. The addicts are going to do what they have to do to supply their habit, it is the people like me who do not abuse their medication and do not sell it who are going to be at a loss. Yeah us with the busted disks in our backs that take the medicine to go to work and play with our kids so we can do so without severe pain while doing so also so we can get some rest when we lay down at night please don't take it away from the people who need it. The kids running in and out of these pain clinics are the problem getting the medicine only to sell it they forge MRI's so they will receive prescriptions for pain they do not have. But when our doctors get run out on a rail due to groups like this these kids will take the big drug dealers money and go out of town to another doctor there will always be doctors. The war on drugs is a never going to be won just like the war in Iraq might as well put George W. Bush in charge of the wars he liked fighting a losing battle that is just my take but it is the truth!
« bas1957 wrote on Thursday, Nov 19 at 10:51 PM »
Kids should not have to hide their food to keep it from being sold. If the parents are so drug addicted that would sell their childrens food they are not fit to be parents and the kids should be taken from them, before they sell them too, as we just saw happen in North Carolina.
« eldorango8 wrote on Thursday, Nov 19 at 08:50 PM »
lets all have another town hall meeting about drugs!!! yeah like that will do any good. why not get the sheriff to step up their game and do some stake-outs, investigations and then get childrens services to quit asking people to fill out forms in triplicate and never do any investigations. good idea teach kids to hide food so when their parents find it they can beat on the kids. people who have the power to do something don't and when citizens complain their not investigated and when we get fed-up and do something were wrong and get prosecuted for violating some druggies rights. wake up scioto county, and do something don't just talk about it.and in the mean time my complaint about the two druggies renting houses on my road will continue to sell drugs and people i know will sell oxy 10s, valiums, and zanex bars. so hey keep on talking!!!!!!!!!

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