Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia Graduate Featured on Local News

ATLANTA, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently a Narconon of Georgia graduate was featured in a local news show about his experience with prescription drug abuse. The special report focused on the growing problem of prescription drug addiction. In the report Andrew shared his near death experience and his belief that more should be done to prevent prescription drug abuse.

"I woke up, blinked once and the next thing I knew I opened my eyes to my father on top of me giving me CPR. I saw tears streaming down his face and I asked 'What's going on?'" remarked Andrew as he shared his near death experience.

"If my father hadn't been home that day I would have died from a drug overdose."

When asked if he thought prescription medication could actually harm him Andrew admits at the time he thought it was safe. He has a different viewpoint now and has spent the last year helping other addicts get clean.

"Kids don't have to worry about finding a scary dealer on the street. It's much easier to simply open up their parent's medicine cabinet."

The alarming ease by which many Americans can get a prescription for powerful pain medications and psychiatric drugs can be attributed to the fact that there has been a 150% rise in the numbers of prescriptions written as a consequence of intense marketing from the pharmaceutical industry.

In a recent press conference Joseph A. Califano Jr., CASA's director and president said: "Aggressive marketing of controlled drugs to physicians . . . is designed to increase profits with little regard for abuse potential, Our nation is in the throes of an epidemic of controlled prescription drug abuse and addiction."

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has begun to spend its entire budget for media campaigns directed at parents - $14 million since 2008 - on the abuse of prescription and over the counter drug.

As pharmaceutical abuse increases, our safety measures have to increase commensurately. Over the Counter and Prescription Drug abuse is life threatening. Concerned citizens and legislatures have done an excellent job of getting drunken driving under control.

We can put a major dent in the abuse of medications by insisting in a similar way that our citizens and legislatures take heed of the dangers of medicine, whether it is prescribed or over the counter.

Original Article on Atlanta Recovery website.

More information: http://www.drugsno.com/addiction.htm.

View VNR (video news release) for this story:
http://www.Send2Press.com/newswire/2009-11-1106-002.shtml

*(PHOTO 72dpi: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/09-1106-PaulGa_72dpi.jpg)
*(Photo Caption: Andrew battled prescription drug addiction.)

This release was issued on behalf of the above organization by Send2Press(R), a unit of Neotrope(R). http://www.Send2Press.com