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Even more frightening: The high rise in deaths from people overdosing on opiate painkillers such as Vicodin or OxyContin, the same drugs that often open the door to later heroin use, says the report.
Andrew Butterfass, M.D., Emergency Medical Services Medical Director at Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel, said the new studies, with statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) do not surprise him.
"Heroin use has always been in Putnam County, as it has across the state and the country, and overdoses present themselves at Putnam Hospital at times," he said. "Studies have shown that chronic prescription use significantly increases the chance of developing heroin dependence."
In the emergency department, Dr. Butterfass said they try to limit narcotic pain use by screening patients through New York State’s Prescription Monitoring Program Registry, a statewide online resource that enables practitioners to see if patients are already receiving opiate pain prescriptions and/or other controlled substance prescriptions from other providers.
"Although there is a role and an occasional need for narcotics in acute pain control, at Putnam Hospital we also look to use non-narcotic alternatives for pain control when appropriate," said Dr. Butterfass.
As for how to mitigate drug abuse, he suggests parents talk to their children about drug use and abuse at an appropriate age. "Even at an early age, children can learn that medicine is only to be used as prescribed by a medical provider," he stressed.
"Parents should make sure that all medicines and narcotic pain medicines in particular, are kept securely and in a place that is not accessible to children.
"The community should also be aware of and encouraged to take advantage of 'Medication Take Back' events when people can bring leftover, unused or expired medications to designated locations for safe return," he said.
"These programs help keep medications from unintended and inappropriate use by both children and adults. Putnam Hospital Center offers 'Medication Take Back' events each year," he added.
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