There’s a dark irony at work in medicine cabinets across Snohomish County.
Drugs that help patients cope with pain have become a leading cause of death. Prescription narcotics, such as Percocet and Vicodin, are among the chief culprits.
The statistics are startling. According to the Snohomish Health District, the number of unintentional poisoning deaths skyrocketed from 1990 to 2007 by 400 percent. Poisoning has outpaced traffic accidents as the leading cause of accidental death. Four out of five of the deaths are caused by prescription painkillers.
Snohomish County government has gone to great, laudable lengths to address the problem, but more work must be done.
In a way, prescription drugs are a problem that stays in the family. Fifty-five percent of users get the drugs for free from a friend or family member, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 16 percent buy or steal the pills from an acquaintance. Drug dealers are involved a mere 4 percent of the time.
Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick and the Snohomish Health District partnered to create a system that helps tackle the issue, allowing households to drop off old pills at participating pharmacies and police departments.
We laud that program and encourage residents to visit takebackyourmeds.org or call 425-388-3199 for details. However, we also recognize the program has flaws. For instance, the deadliest drugs only can be delivered to the police.
Too many people may hesitate to make that special trip. They may get confused about which drugs can be taken where, and instead leave all their old medicine in the cabinet. Or they just may be paranoid about giving drugs to an officer.
A simpler program is necessary, as is greater public awareness. Thankfully, wheels are in motion on both fronts.
The sheriff’s office and health district have endorsed a “take back” program now working its way through the Legislature.
The program would create a drop-off spot in every county, and every city with a population greater than 10,000. Pharmacies could wind up playing a larger role with deadly drugs, assuming the federal government approves such an option. And the law would require public awareness campaigns about the drop-offs.
While we support such steps, we recognize it may take time to get the bill passed. Pharmaceutical companies would be required to pay for the program and have fought the bill’s passage.
For now, we encourage local pharmacies to stay in the habit of providing information on existing drop-off options, and urge households to get rid of their old medication.
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