Prescription Opioid Misuse
Since 1999, almost 500,000 people have died from an opioid overdose (CDC, 2019). Prescription opioid misuse is a leading cause of addiction in the United States and accounts for a large portion of opioid related deaths. The PROMISE Initiative is committed to changing behavior surrounding prescription opioids and providing resources on how community members can help in this fight.
Example of prescription opioid misuse can include
- taking a medication without a prescription.
- taking someone else’s prescription painkillers.
- taking more than the dosage prescribed by the doctor.
- taking a medication for a purpose other than the reason it was prescribed.
- doctor shopping.
The PROMISE team is working to provide individuals with ways to prevent opioid misuse within the home. Below you will find a video for more tips and tricks to safely store, use, and dispose of prescription medicine. Learn more about the opioid epidemic in the United States by visiting https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html .
Learn more about the history of the opioid epidemic and the efforts to address it.
News
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Edward Jenkins manages his family’s small farm in Grace, Mississippi. It’s property that has been in his family since the 1940s.
Like other farms, Jenkins’ family-run operation is a delicate balancing act of making the right decisions and dealing with issues that are beyond a farmer’s control, including weather and markets. It’s a high-pressure business.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- The rollout of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers more hope to individuals dealing with mental-health-related distress. That population includes farmers and farm workers, who are among those most at risk for suicide and mental health distress.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male agricultural workers have the fourth highest suicide rate among men in all industries.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Over-the-counter medications and supplements seem safer than prescription drugs, but a dramatic rise in pediatric melatonin overdoses serves as a warning that these products can be dangerous and must be stored safely.
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a 530% increase in melatonin overdose in children from 2012 to 2020. Most of these ingestions were unintentional and occurred among children 5 or younger in their homes.
