Illegal prescription drug use is rampant. Why wouldn't it be? Pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars annually to assure that our nation's physicians dole out prescription drugs on a continual basis. Stronger, longer lasting drugs are finding their way to our family medicine cabinets where smaller, inquisitive hands can easily reach out and grab them. We generally do not lock up these drugs even though we understand the ramifications of their use. We also know that children take these drugs from parent's bathrooms at an increasingly alarming rate. Why are we allowing this to happen? Who's responsibility is it to make certain these strong, powerful elixirs are not taken by those for whom they are not prescribed?

I believe this responsibility falls upon us as individuals, and the State as society's overall protector. Firstly, medicine cabinets should be just that; medicine cabinets! These should come with a manufacturers lock and may in fact be separate cabinets from your traditional bathroom "medicine" cabinet. Perhaps such a cabinet could be kept under the sink or tucked away inside a larger bathroom cabinet or closet. Assuring that we, as individuals, do our part to insure these drugs do not fall into our youngster's hands, would be alot easier if the private sector, industry, put a little thought into things.
I also think that the State is partially responsible for solving this challenge. Since the State allows doctors to freely prescribe strong, powerful, and addictive drugs, and allows for the sale of alcohol and tobacco, I feel it only fair that where these substances are sold (hospital pharmacies, 7-Eleven's, supermarkets-this list is endless) there ought to be displayed at these drug dispensaries, literature that includes what addictive substances there are within and how those substances might affect us. Having anti-substance abuse literature, like PREHAB, available at these centers for drug distribution should be mandatory and laws need to be generated to inform the public from potentially addictive substances, even those prescribed by your physician. Warehouses full of alcohol are openly allowed to operate freely without any mention or warning of the impending dangers that lay within. Wherever legal addictive substances are sold or given away there ought to be readily available information that explains what these substances can do and where continued use of them might lead. We have warnings on cigarette packages. Why not on wine or hard liquor bottles? Literature and warnings about potential addictive dangers should be everywhere.
If we as individuals, and we as the State begin in earnest to self regulate our addictive substances we will be so much closer to an addiction free world. Protecting our family and protecting our society is really the same thing. We can tackle a huge societal difficulty with grace if we recognise the need and work together to implement positive actions regarding substance control.

www.prehab2rehab.com
PREHAB: The Essentials for Successful Change
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