St. Louis is experiencing a public health emergency. This year, we are on track to break the record for the number of fatal prescription opioid and heroin overdoses. And while this problem doesn’t exist just in our city or just in Missouri; it’s here, and it’s killing our kids. Four of every five heroin users started with and became addicted to prescription opioids (e.g. hydrocodone, oxycodone, OxyContin, etc.), and almost all of those cases started with medication that was appropriately prescribed to someone else.
While opioid pain medications are important for patients recovering from surgery or suffering from chronic pain, far too often, they are diverted and misused by family, friends or other acquaintances. Unlocked, unsecured prescription pain medication poses a terrible and measurable risk, especially to young people.
