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thedcregister.com
THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019
GUEST COLUMN
Know the prescription for prevention When taken correctly, prescription and non-prescription medicines can go a long way to help us relieve symptoms, fight certain infections, and even improve the functioning and quality of life for those with common chronic illnesses. But, when they are misused or taken without a prescription, the consequences can be devastating and even deadly. Prescription drugs are only safe to use at the dose they’ve been prescribed for YOU by a doctor who knows your health history. According to the Center for Disease Control, around 60,000 young children end up in emergency rooms each year because they got into medicines while an adult wasn’t looking. The National Study on Drug Use and Health reported that an estimated 28.6 million Americans age 12 and over used illicit drugs during the month prior to the study. More people reported using a controlled prescription drug more than cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine combined. Many teens believe that using prescription drugs are much safer than illegal street drugs because they are prescribed by a doctor. There are certain medications that are more commonly abused than others. They would include: benzodiazepines, barbiturates, codeine, morphine, methadone, fentanyl, and opioids Beginning in the 1990’s, there was a drastic increase in opioid usage after pharmaceutical companies lobbied for physicians to prescribe opioid pain relievers and labeled them as non-addictive, which has since proven to be false. Opioid pain relievers have been found to be highly addictive, leading
-Keep a journal with all the to a national health crisis related to the opioid epidemic. medicines, vitamins, herbal, The National Institute on Drug and dietary supplements that Abuse reported that in 2017, you take. Add new medicines 1.7 million Americans suffered to the list when you start taking from a substance use disorder them or when a dose changes. related to opioids and estimates Always bring this with you to the economic cost of this epi- the doctor or pharmacy. -Ask your pharmacist for a demic to be $78.5 billion per patient informayear. It is hard tion sheet explainto believe that ing your new meda prescription ication. The print medication may be small but given to you take the time to by your phyread over it. sician could -Take the corprove to be so rect dosage preharmful. scribed by your Underdoctor. Do not standing take extra doses of safe use and BEVIN your medication, disposal of prescription VAN WASSENHOVE especially if they are mood altering medications is imperative in keeping yourself or pain medications. -NEVER share your preand others around you safe. CASA’s Prescription for Pre- scribed medications with othvention for safe use and dispos- ers. Prescription medicines are meant for you and you alone. al is outlined below: Sharing or borrowing medications is not only dangerous but also illegal. -If you are receiving a new medication, ask questions. There are some medications that have more dangerous side “Up, Away, and Out of effects than others; some med- Sight” is what to keep in mind ications can be more addictive when having them in your than others. Stay informed. home. It’s best to keep your Write down questions ahead of medications in one location, time if possible or take some- in a cool and dry area in your one with you when you’re at home. your appointment. -If there are children around -Make sure you tell your in your home, you should find doctor about all prescription an area where you can lock and non-prescription medica- your medications. Especialtions you are taking, including ly controlled substances that over the counter, herbal, vita- are commonly abused includmin, and dietary supplements, ing painkillers, tranquilizers, which can prevent dangerous stimulants, and sedatives. The drug interactions. Don’t forget theft and abuse of prescription to mention any allergies you medicines is a serious probmay have. lem. Making the effort to keep
Know the Facts
Safe Storage
FOLLOW-UP
Attitudes I have copped
Ok, I’m back. that total agreement would not serve March Madness for me had nothing the people well. Much of that meeting, to with basketball, and everything to do however, was political nonsense. It took with everything I could not have antici- three hours, but I think everybody got to pated - or maybe I should have. For three flex their muscles. consecutive years, I have endured winter 4. The vote at the same meeting went with pneumonia. 3-2 against reorganizing the utility board I crashed in January, and did not feel so it would not be solely composed of well throughout February and most of council members. March. Still, I sound like a crybaby I’m all for taking council members, compared to our Rising Sun/ except for one representative, western Dearborn County reoff the utility board. The presporter Chandra Mattingly, who ent arrangement is a major underwent brain surgery for impediment to progress. cancer. She has been fighting Lawrenceburg councilthe disease several years. men, except for the at-large As managing editor, I have representative, are elected in been coordinating much of the small precincts. A vote for a RS tasks, but thanks to indepencouncil member is a vote for dent contractors Tiffany Clark the utility board. They carry and Katie Ballard I have been their biases and attitudes from spared the tasks I dread. one board to the next. The With that account acknowl- JOE arrangement is too cozy. edged, I have something to say AWAD It’s obvious that when it’s about some issues. These are convenient, Lawrenceburg snippets, no allegories: Utilities is treated as a separate 1. The proposal in the Hoosier Legis- entity from the city. When it’s not, the lature to allow police to use surveillance utility comes under the city’s domain. drones over public places is premature, Councilman Randy Abner said now and perhaps immoral. I’m sure the gov- is not the right time to re-organize the ernor will sign it, but the concept has board because it is an election year. He not been properly vetted in the public said leave it to the next council. domain. I say the vote came exactly at the right Privacy issues abound. Sure, it is being time, so councilmen “had the opportusold to increase public safety, spying al- nity” to show their hands. No council in ways is, but it’s as Orwellian as it gets. 20 years has had the guts to change the I’m not proposing anything, but I would system. Neither will the new council. get a kick out of people shooting them Prove me wrong - please! down. BTW, who owns the airspace over The vote: Mel Davis - change it; Paul your house? Seymour Jr. - change it; Randy Abner 2. “Outrageous.” That was my reac- - keep it; Tony Abbott - keep it; Aaron tion when I learned the newspaper had Cook - keep it. to pay for an Indiana State Police report In fairness, Davis is not running; Seyabout the South Dearborn school bus mour has no opponent in the Primary wreck. “Obnoxious” was my reaction Election; Cook is running for mayor, so to the name of the service: Buy a Crash. probably won’t face the proposal again “Asinine” was my response when the - win or lose; Abner and Abbott are conIndiana Hoosier State Press attorney in- tested in the Primary. formed me there is no maximum charge. Now that’s transparent politics. LOL. I am a law-and-order guy all the way, 5. That utility board meeting was but our Legislature and law enforcement weird, but you got to give credit to the agencies that backed this law misfired speaker who took the podium to praise all the way. college wrestler Mason Parris’ outstand3. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the bick- ing freshman year. The meeting ended ering at the March Lawrenceburg Utility with everyone applauding. With Paris, Board meeting was classic Lawrence- you know what you are getting - a butt burg. One resident took the podium to whipping. opine that everyone threw everyone else Mason Paris for mayor! Mason Paris under the bus. My metaphor: they played for president! King of the Hill. Councilman Aaron Cook made a Joe Awad is managing editor of Reggood point when he said, in essence, ister Publications.
these items secure and safe can prevent keeping these powerful medicines out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them. -Keep your medications separate from others in your family. This will make it less likely that you take the wrong ones by mistake. -Keep the medicine in the bottle it came in. The amber coloring helps protect it from light and it also keeps all the information you need right there. Do not mix medications in the same bottle and always keep the lid tightly closed.
Safe Disposal
What do you do with your medications after you are finished with them? Bitter Pill Indiana has a few choices for you: -You can take unwanted or unused prescription pills to the Dearborn County Sherriff’s Department Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30AM and 4:00 PM. They will dispose of your unwanted medications for you. The Sherriff’s Department also has a sharps disposal container located inside their lobby. You can safely dispose of needles here. -The Dearborn County Health Department and the Dearborn County Recycling Center have disposal bags that will dissolve your medications safely when placed in the bag. You can receive these bags from either location; they can be used for pills, liquids, or patches. The Health Department also provides containers for safe disposal of sharp items. -Bitter Pill IN warns against
flushing expired or unwanted prescription and over the counter drugs down toilets or drains unless the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so. We want to protect the environment as much as possible to protect human life. Medicines that end up in landfills or in our water system may cause harm to our ground water or environment. -If you are unable to take your prescriptions to the Dearborn County Sherriff’s Department or receive bags to dissolve your medicines, the included chart provides tips on what to do. The Dearborn County Com-
munity Advocating for Substance Abuse Awareness is an organization dedicated to creating awareness and providing prevention efforts to address substance use and abuse. You can find more information about our Prescription for Prevention on our website at www.DearbornCountyCASA.com under “Resources”. Please contact us if you have any additional questions. We would like to thank the City of Lawrenceburg for their generosity in funding our efforts. Bevin L. Van Wassenhove, is Executive Director at Community Advocating for Substance Abuse Awareness.
GUEST COLUMN “Action + Awareness” theme of National Problem Gambling Awareness Month
Community Mental Health Cen- $7 billion every year. Social costs ter, Inc., Lawrenceburg, with the include addiction, bankruptcy, and National Council on Problem Gam- related criminal activity. bling, recognizes March as NationFor most people, gambling is a al Problem Gambling Awareness fun diversion, but for a few, gamMonth. This year’s campaign con- bling can become a serious life-altinues with the theme “Action + tering problem. Problem gambling Awareness.” is behavior that causes disruptions For the 15th consecutive year, in any major area of a person’s life. CMHC, in collaboration with According to the national council’s NCPG, dedicates March website, “It is important to to helping people “have recognize that most people the conversation” about can gamble without negaproblem gambling. About tive consequences. A small 2 million (1 percent) of percentage, however, of U.S. adults are estimated persons who gamble sufto meet criteria for pathofer enormous social, ecological gambling. Anothnomic and psychological er 4 million to 6 million implications. Individuals, (2 to 3 percent) would families and communities be considered problem all suffer from problem gamblers, yet, for many, KEVIN gambling.” gambling remains a hidThe annual NCAA KENNEDY den addiction. college basketball tournaProblem Gambling ment is entertaining for Awareness Month is designed to many and also represents a huge help raise awareness of the preven- gaming interest for many. As March tion, treatment and recovery ser- Madness reached a crescendo, with vices available for those adversely an estimated $10 billion in bets affected by gambling. The grass- placed on the NCAA championship roots campaign brings together a games, calls to the National Probwide range of stakeholders – pub- lem Gambling Helpline (1-800lic health organizations, advocacy 522-4700) spike an average of 30 groups, and gambling operators – percent during the month. who work collaboratively to let peoWould you recognize a gambling ple know that hope and help exist. problem in someone you know? Statistics gathered from various Signs of problem gambling include: health and governmental sources argumentative and defensive behavand posted on the National Council’s ior around gambling; unexplained website indicate consumers spend absences for long periods of time; more than $100 billion annually on lies to loved ones about gambling legal gaming in the United States. behavior; going without basic needs At the same time, the social costs of in order to gamble, and borrowing problem gambling total more than money to gamble.
Letters
Aurora - City of Spires, or Tires?
Editor: A full-blown semi-truck fuel stop at an already congested curve and intersection on the parking lot known as U.S. 50 at Ind. 148 has to rank as one of the dumbest development ideas ever hatched in Dearborn County. No matter how you “dignify the
Problem gambling is not a bad habit or a moral weakness. It’s a serious condition that responds well to treatment. Anyone can develop a problem with gambling. It can affect men or women of any age, race or religion, regardless of their social status. Some risk factors, individually or in combination, might make a person more vulnerable:
■A stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, injury/disability ■An early big win while gambling ■Pre-existing mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or alcoholism ■Family history of addictions such as alcoholism, compulsive gambling and drug addiction. There is hope and help for problem gamblers and their loved ones, Many people who seek help recover. For more information, contact: ■Community Mental Health Center, Inc., at 1-812-537-1302 ■National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700. ■Indiana problem gambling referral line at 800-994-8448 ■Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon, call 866-442-8621. ■National Council of Problem Gambling’s website at www.ncpgambling.org. All CMHC services are provided without regard to race, religion, disability, gender, color, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political belief, status as a veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Kevin Kennedy, Sr., B.A., is P.R. manager/administrative assistant at Community Mental Health Service.
to the editor
pig” with massaging turn lanes, you’re going to have crawling, belching shifting semis eating up the traffic lights for ingress and egress, exacerbating an already untenable, choked traffic situation. The icing on the cake is giving the developers $425,000 of our tax dollars for a few acres of asphalt, 10-12 jobs in the desperation category of employment and an expansion of our traffic nightmare.
Grant Hughes, agent for the developing Ports Petroleum Co. states, “We are normally along interstate highways.” Well duh! There may be a sound reason for that. This goes beyond ineptitude and borders on malfeasance. Aurora, City of Spires, or Tires? Chet Wolgamot Manchester Township