Wednesday, January 23, 2013
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit
About
Operation
UNITE will host the second annual National Rx Drug Abuse Summit in
Orlando April 2-4. We hope you will join us! Last year we had 750
people from 47 states!
Company Overview
This
must-attend National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, April 2-4, 2013, is unlike
any other national conference, bringing all impacted parties together to
address the prescription drug abuse epidemic. Conference programming is
designed to convey a synergistic approach to include: prevention,
education, treatment, law enforcement, health care providers,
pharmacists, advocates, and third-party payers – among other impacted
parties.Contact Info
| Phone | +60 6-657 3218 |
|---|---|
| erice@centertech.com | |
| Website | http://nationalrxdrugabusesummit.org/ |
Commentary: Time to “Make An Impact” on Rx Epidemic
Every month approximately 1,200 calls are received from
individuals in southern and eastern Kentucky seeking help with an
addiction issue. Multiply this by the hundreds of regions across America
and it’s easy to understand why the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention consider prescription drug abuse a public health “epidemic.”
One accidental overdose death every 19 minutes; more than the number of deaths from car crashes. That’s a sobering statistic.
Families and communities are being torn apart, and our children are not immune to addiction’s deadly consequences.
In 2009, an estimated 28,068 visits to the emergency department
misuse or abuse of drugs by children aged 12-14, according to a report
by the Drug Abuse Warning Network. Half of these visits involved
prescription and over-the-counter medications.
As the tide of prescription drug abuse rolled across the country,
communities found themselves unprepared for the impending flood of
problems and now struggle to react against the tsunami of addiction.
Recognizing that no single organization or agency could fend off this storm, UNITE launched the inaugural National Rx Drug Abuse Summit
in 2012. Impacted parties came together for a holistic examination of
what is being done to help solve the prescription drug problem, what
could be done or done better, and to forge lasting partnerships and
strategic alliances.
“Operation UNITE’s inaugural National Summit on Rx Drug Abuse was one
of the most professional and well organized conferences I have ever
been to,” stated Carla Saunders, NNP-BC, advance practice coordinator
with Pediatrix Medical Group at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
“Power packed with excellent keynote speakers, the Summit brought hope
to our team that has treated more than 400 prescription drug-exposed
newborns suffering from withdrawal in the past two years.”
“We learned so much about the problem of prescription substance abuse
and what can, and is, being done to combat the problem,” Saunders said.
“We had incredible opportunities to ‘unite’ with others and see that
there is hope. In hope there is strength, and in strength there is the
power to make a difference.”
Last
year’s conference sparked many on-going collaborations among
stakeholders in this on-going battle. Feedback from the more than 700
participants has been used to shape discussion at the second Summit,
to be held April 2-4, 2013, at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
in Florida. Breakout and general session programs will focus on ways
participants can “Make An Impact” in the fight against prescription drug
abuse.
With youth experimenting with drugs at an earlier and earlier age, it
is incumbent on all stakeholders to identify and collaborate on
successful educational strategies that will help change behaviors.
No single entity or initiative can solve our nation’s problems alone.
In addition to grassroots educational efforts, law enforcement
strategies and providing appropriate treatment/recovery programs for
addicts, we must look at long-term cures – and that involves effective
legislation at local, state and federal levels. The Summit brought
recognition to work of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug
Abuse and collaboration continues on strong Prescription Drug Monitoring
Programs.
“This may be the biggest challenge of our society, and the only way
this destructive trend can be reversed is if everyone — I mean, everyone
– gets involved,” stated U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (WV-3rd), a keynote
speaker at the first Summit. “Our nation’s future – our children’s and
grandchildren’s future – hangs in the balance.”
We cannot let this problem go unchecked. Prescription drug abuse is
growing out-of-control, draining limited resources and devastating
families. Please join this important national conversation on April 2-4, 2013, and Make An Impact! Our future is at stake.
Karen Kelly, President/CEO, Operation United
Military Deployment Increases Risk of Substance Abuse in Young Family Members
Having a parent or sibling who has been deployed in the
military increases the risk of drug and alcohol use among middle and
high school students, a new study finds.
The study found multiple deployments by a parent or sibling was
linked with an increased risk of lifetime and recent use of drugs and
alcohol, MedicalXpress
reports. The study found a high number of deployments was linked with a
14 percent increase in the likelihood of lifetime drug use, and an 18
percent increased risk of recent use.
The researchers at the University of Southern California School of
Social Work found youth in grades 5 to 11 with a sibling in the military
were more likely to use drugs than those with a parent in the military.
The findings appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
“The potential for strain and the trauma associated with multiple
deployments in the past 10 years of war seem to be driving this. People
need to be aware that these experiences have an impact,” lead author
Tamika Gilreath said in a news release.
She added, “Everyone talks about the impact of parents, but no one
talks about the impact of other close family members, such as siblings.
There is research to suggest that the deployment of a sibling is
similarly disruptive as parental deployment. Parental concern may
influence their interactions with the younger sibling who is left to
cope with their own sense of loss as well as their parents’.”
The researchers suggest schools with a high density of students with
deployed family members should consider providing education about
substance use. They also recommend that community medical providers
increase substance abuse screening in these children.
Phone App Shows Effects of Drinking On Facial Appearance
A new phone app shows the effect of drinking alcohol on a person’s facial appearance. The “Drinking Mirror” is designed to make people aware of the physical toll of heavy alcohol consumption.
The app, which is free until March, is available for Android and
iPhone users. People can upload or take a photo of themselves, and enter
information about their drinking habits, The Washington Post
reports. The app shows them how their face might age if they continue
to consume alcohol at their current rate, by adding weight gain, dull
skin, wrinkles and red cheeks.
The app is part of the Scottish government’s “Drop a Glass Size”
campaign, launched by Health Secretary Alex Neil this month. “Evidence
shows us that most people who drink alcohol, particularly at home, have
no idea of how much they are actually consuming. This campaign will show
people how small changes to their drinking habits can have a
significant impact on their health and wellbeing,” he said in a news release.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)