Prescription Drug Misuse Town Hall

Prescription medication misuse is the leading cause of death from drug overdosing. Prescription medication misuse is known as taking a medication that is not prescribed, is prescribed to someone else, or taking the prescribed medication to get a recreational “high” feeling from its effects – even if its prescribed to the individual. Unfortunately, many of our teens are the primary abusers of prescription medications.

In South Texas, 1 in every 5 high school students reported prescription drug misuse. In 2016, 10.1% of students in grades 7th to 12th and 14.8% of 12th grade students reported using codeine cough syrup as recreational use. The second highest abused medication in 2016 was Xanax at 3.7% of 7th to 12th grade and 7.3% of 12 grade students reporting misuse.

Because of the increasing prescription medication misuse, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) requested Regional Town Hall Meetings to discuss prescription medication risks, prevention, data, and consequences happening in our communities. South Texas’ local FREE Town Hall meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 25th from 6:00-8:15pm at the Weslaco City Hall, EDC on 255 S. Kansas Ave., Weslaco, TX. Registration is encouraged at http://prescriptiondrugsummit.com since food will be provided.

The Prevention Resource Center (PRC), a program of Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas, serves as the central data collection repository for South Texas, and the developer of free annual Regional Needs Assessment (RNA). To find out more about the prevention work being conducted in your community download the latest RNA at our website, www.prc11.org/data or call (956) 787-7111.
Martha A. Gutierrez, BA
PRC Prevention
Specialist – Region 11
Behavioral Health
Solutions of South Texas
[email protected]
www.prc11.org
www.bhsst.org