Prescription drugs: Available and deadly

The black market for prescription drugs in Southern Illinois is alive and well, often sending users of all ages to the emergency room.

Many die.

Last fall, a young man mixed alcohol with morphine that was extracted from a time-release patch, or fentanyl, which in some cases is 100 times more potent than heroin. To this day, police Chief Bob Smith cant believe he survived.

I have never seen an individual that near death and make it, Smith said.

It isnt the first time in Harrisburg, or elsewhere in Southern Illinois. In the last two to three years, Smith said, there have been 10 to 15 deaths directly linked to morphine patches. Two of the deaths occurred within a week of each other.

A similar problem was seen in West Frankfort.

To many in law enforcement, health care and mental health, unchecked prescription drugs in the home are as deadly as a loaded gun around unsupervised children.

Parents, know what a Skittle Party is?

Its when kids bring any prescription drug they can get their hands on typically from their homes and bring them to a party. They then dump the drugs in a bowl or a bag and ingest whatever pill they select without knowing what they are taking.

It isnt news that there is a problem with prescription drug abuse among people young or old, poor or celebrity. The news is, despite efforts to curtail abuse of legally produced but highly addictive medicine, the problem is getting worse across the country including Southern Illinois.

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Prescription drugs: Available and deadly