Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, weighed in today
following an incident Tuesday at Mountain View Middle School in
which
nine students were taken to the hospital for taking prescription
pills.
“This week, nine middle school students in Bremerton were
hospitalized after popping prescription pills some of the students
brought from home,” Inslee said in a release. “Our communities need
all the options available to them to combat this problem.”
The timing of the incident coincides with the passage of the
Safe Drug Disposal Act by the U.S. House of Representatives, a
bill aimed at allowing for prescription pill disposal sites
without police involvement — which is currently illegal under
federal law.
Inslee is a sponsor of the bill.
Such drug overdoses
recently surpassed car crashes as the no. 1 cause of death in
Washington.
This is an alarm our newspaper first sounded in 2008 in a
project called “A
Bitter Pill.”
Here’s the full press release from Inslee’s office:
“This afternoon, the House of Representatives passed Rep. Jay
Inslee’s (WA-01) Safe Drug Disposal Act, H.R. 5809, by unanimous
consent. This important bipartisan legislation will break
down barriers preventing communities from starting comprehensive
and all inclusive drug take-back programs in accordance with Drug
Enforcement Agency guidelines. Drug take-back programs
provide communities with a safe, legal option for disposing
unwanted or unneeded prescription medication.
“Passing the Safe Drug Disposal Act is a big win for Washington
families,” said Rep. Inslee. “Prescription drug abuse is a
growing plague in our communities. This week, nine middle
school students in Bremerton were hospitalized after popping
prescription pills some of the students brought from home.
Our communities need all the options available to them to
combat this problem. The Safe Drug Disposal Act will give
them a common sense option to easily and safely get rid of leftover
prescription medication.”
Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in Washington state
and around the country. Between 1999 and 2006, the number of
fatal poisonings involving prescription drugs more than tripled
across the United States. Prescription drug overdoses have
now surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of accidental
deaths in Washington state. Three in five teens say
prescription pain relievers are easy to get from parents’ medicine
cabinets and over half of prescription drug abusers get the
medicines from a friend or relative.
“Drug overdoses are now the #1 cause of accidental death in
Washington State.
In many areas, including Snohomish County, prescription drugs are
involved in a majority of overdoses,” said John Gahagan, Vice-Chair
of the Science and Management of Addictions (SAMA) Foundation. Mr.
Gahagan’s son, Sean, died of a prescription drug overdose. “Whether
left unused in medicine cabinets, tossed in the garbage or flushed
down the toilet, these drugs represent a danger to the health of
our youth and the health of our environment. Rep.
Inslee’s bill is a critical step in support of efforts to ensure
that unneeded controlled substances are securely collected from
homes and disposed of safely.”
The Safe Drug Disposal Act would allow local agencies and
organizations to set-up and run safe drug disposal efforts, like
drop-off boxes and mail-in programs, in accordance with future DEA
regulations. Groups, authorized by the Attorney General would
be able to accept controlled substances for the purpose of
disposal. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) would be able to
issue rules regarding drug take back programs. The bill also calls
for a new public awareness campaign to educate citizens about the
dangers of prescription drugs.
Until now, there has been no safe way for consumers to dispose
of unwanted prescription drugs. Under current law, consumers
are prohibited from giving unneeded, unused or expired drugs to
anyone besides law enforcement.
Rep. Inslee worked with many local, regional and national
organizations to craft the language of the Safe Drug Disposal Act.
In Washington state, local agencies and community groups like
Group Health and Bartell Drugs have tackled this problem head-on
and developed successful pilot safe drug disposal programs.
Bartell Drugs provided the first take-back locations in
Washington’s pioneering Unwanted Medicine Return program and
continues to expand locations at its stores in King , Pierce and
Snohomish counties.
“Bartell’s understands the need for the safe and environmentally
sound disposal of prescription drugs,” said George D. Bartell,
Chairman and CEO of family-owned, Seattle-based Bartell Drugs. “The
Safe Drug Disposal Act will play an important role in safeguarding
our environment, reducing abuse and saving lives. We heartily
applaud Representative Inslee’s efforts behind this bill.”
Share on Facebook
