East Paradise

With the rate of prescription and over-the-counter drug
misuse and abuse on the rise in Southern Nevada, a coalition of local
organizations have partnered to cut the drug supply line: home medicine
cabinets.

Unused and expired medications will be collected anonymously and with
no-questions-asked for safe and proper disposal during the Valley’s
first-ever “Operation Medicine Cabinet.” The one-day event takes place from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Las Vegas Sports Center at 121
E. Sunset Road, located at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Sunset Road.

“Our goal is to ensure that unwanted medications don’t end up in the wrong
hands,” said Sgt. Paul McCollough, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department’s Narcotics Division. “People vulnerable to misuse and abuse,
such as children and teens, get into medicine cabinets at home or while
visiting friends and family to acquire entire bottles or just a few pills at
a time. These pills are often illegally sold or traded to others.”

According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free American, prescription and
over-the-counter drugs have emerged as the “party” drugs of choice for many
teens. A 2008 study by the organization showed that one in five teens has
tried Vicodin®, a powerful and addictive narcotic pain reliever; one in 10
has tried OxyContin®, another prescription narcotic; one in 10 has used the
stimulants Ritalin® or Adderall® for nonmedical purposes and one in 11 teens
has admitted to getting high on over-the-counter cough medicine.

Dr. Paul Oesterman, associate professor of pharmacy practice and faculty
advisor for the University of Southern Nevada’s Drug Abuse Awareness Team,
says these numbers mirror what the team has observed through their work with
students in Valley schools.

“Despite some high-profile tragedies associated with prescription drugs,
such as Michael Jackson and Danny Gans, most people, particularly youth, are
either unaware of or not concerned with the potential chemical dangers of
these drugs,” said Oesterman. “There are varying strengths, side-effects and
interactions to consider when taking medications that aren’t prescribed to
you by a doctor or are simply misused. Unfortunately, the result can be
great bodily harm or even death.”

The rise in number of prescription drug-related deaths in Clark County over
the past decade is astounding, says Clark County Coroner P. Michael Murphy,
DBA.

“In 2000, the Clark County Coroner’s Office reported 171 accidental drug and
medication related deaths in the county. The numbers have increased each
year. In 2009 there were 397, with dozens of cases still pending final
report,” said Murphy.

Bruce Gentner, founder of the Narcotics Education Foundation of Nevada and
detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said, “In
addition to regularly cleaning out your medicine cabinet and safely
disposing unwanted drugs and medications, it is also critical that the
public safeguard their current medications at home, including limiting
access and keeping track of quantities. It’s also important, especially for
parents, to make certain that friends and relatives do the same.”

Operation Medicine Cabinet is a partnership of the University of Southern
Nevada Drug Abuse Awareness Team, Narcotics Education Foundation of Nevada,
Southern Nevada Water Authority, Clark County Coroner’s Office and Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department. For additional information on Operation
Medicine Cabinet and information on securing and properly discarding
prescription and over-the-counter drugs, visit
www.operationmedicinecabinetlv.org
.