ZAP, “Zero Abuse Period!” signs will be appearing around West Milford in an effort to ZAP out drug abuse in our town. For many people, drug abuse starts with abuse of prescription medication because it is easy to abuse drugs prescribed for one’s self or one’s family, such as pain killers. The initial goal of decreasing pain can yield overdoses in athletes, often leading to elimination of the abuser from his or her sport, and sometimes resulting in death.
Abuse of prescription drugs often starts with teens or young adults stealing medications from ageing or ill parents and grandparents. Older adults should keep their medications locked up or well hidden if teens or young adults might be around. If family members detect such stealing, they should get the person medical help. If that doesn’t work, it would be for the person’s long-term benefit to get them arrested.
West Milford police arrest data during 2013 show that 22 percent of the prescription drug arrests are for minors aged 13 to 20, and another 18 percent are for young adults 21 to 25. During 2013, there were about 30 arrests in town for abusing prescription drugs. When people addicted to prescription drugs can no longer steal them from family or friends, they may buy them illegally. As that rapidly becomes too costly, sometimes $30 per pill, they shift to more addictive but cheaper heroin at $3 to $5 per dose. Not just alcohol and marijuana are “gateways” to heroin addiction, but family members who don’t secure their medications can unwittingly be part of the heroin problem.
Councilwoman Ada Erik brought to a town council meeting a half-gallon bag of pills that she collected when cleaning out the home of a friend who had died. Erik had discussed her demonstration with the police and then brought the bag to the police office.
Erik’s demonstration was still vivid when a health board member recently helped to clean out her deceased mother’s home. As she had lived to 102 and was in poor health for her last decade, prescription medications were in every drawer and cabinet in the bathroom, dining room and kitchen. There was also a box of syringes, as a nurse came to care for her daily. If family members or care takers had been interested in abusing prescription medications, they could have had a field day.
Yet another problem occurred at the Pinecliff Lake community, as a diabetic threw insulin needles in the trash without breaking them. Teenagers found them and shot up illegal drugs in the nearby woods. A further prescription medication incident in our area involved a young man breaking into a home and stealing blood pressure medicines, even leaving behind more valuable objects. The thief was arrested a few weeks later and will likely spend much of his life in prison. Was his medication abuse worth his freedom?
The above prescription drug-abuse incidents provide four relatively recent examples. A list of all such problems during the past five years would likely indicate a serious public health epidemic. To ZAP out our town’s prescription medication abuse, the help of all residents is needed. Please tell your friends and neighbors about this series of ZAP newspaper articles and about the ZAP program to reduce drug abuse, jointly sponsored by C. A. S. A. (Committee Against Substance Abuse) and the West Milford Health Advisory Board.
Residents are asked to email stories based on their own knowledge of drug abuse to Erik@WestMilford.org or to bring them to Ada Erik at town hall, 1480 Union Valley Road, West Milford NJ 07480. Suggestions on ways to ZAP out drug problems can go to Recreation@WestMilford.org, on forms obtained at C.A.S.A.’s Hillcrest office, 1810 Macopin Road, or from the township Web site by clicking on the Community Services and Recreation’s home page. The best 7th and 8th grade ideas will each win an iPod touch worth over $200 if they enter by March 31. Residents’ input can provide a broad spectrum of information, and good ideas will be printed in the upcoming editions of The West Milford Messenger.
Submitted by the West Milford Health Advisory Board and Committee Against Substance Abuse (C.A.S.A.).