Mar 14, 2013 3 min read

Hoping to curb what has become a regional epidemic of prescription drug abuse, local health care and law enforcement officials will hold a summit at Burgettstown Area High School March 25.

“Prescription drug abuse is a huge problem in our community,” said Lori Spina, chief executive officer of Southwest Medical Center in Bentleyville. “Many parents aren’t aware of the danger and aren’t educating their children. They may be more focused on marijuana, cocaine and heroin while not realizing that prescription drugs are such a threat.”

Annually, the nonmedical use of prescription drugs contributes to nearly 40,000 deaths and almost $200 billion in health-care costs nationally. There were more than 50 drug-related overdose deaths in 2011 in Washington County.

The summit will include three seminars educating district students, teachers and the members of the community.

The public presentation will be at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Organizers hope to inform residents how they can prevent teen addiction before it has a chance to take root.

“It’s happening to too many people,” Spina said. “Kids are taking these prescriptions from their parents or grandparents and are getting addicted. They like how it feels, and when they can’t get them anymore, heroin is much cheaper and easier to get.”

Spina said the workshop will include valuable information for parents, children and community members, including medication street names, signs and symptoms of abuse, where the drugs are coming from, what is being done to control them and how to get help. She said prescription drug addiction affects everyone in the community by lowering real estate values, affecting local retailers and threatening safety.

Although the focus is often on high school-aged teenagers, Spina said children should be educated as early as 6 years of age.

The summit will include special presentations from Tim Warco, Washington County coroner; Gene Vittone, Washington County district attorney; Mike Lucas, Washington County assistant district attorney; Cheryl Andrews of the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission; members of the Drug Enforcement Administration; and regular people who have been impacted by the ravages of prescription drug abuse.

The project is a joint venture among Burgettstown Area School District, Mon Valley Hospital, Jefferson Regional Medical Center and numerous law enforcement agencies, including the McDonald Police Department. It was sponsored by the Drs. Gosai & Gandhi physicians office. This will be the third prescription drug summit held in Washington County, following similar events in the Mon Valley and at Canon-McMillan schools.

Burgettstown Middle/High School is at 104 Bavington Road in Burgettstown.