BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
New Jersey’s first Prescription Drug Summit conference was held in Edison on Tuesday with a strong message.
Brian Crowell of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New Jersey called prescription drugs the fastest-growing drug problem in the nation.
“Every 19 minutes somebody is dying from a painkiller overdose,” said Crowell, according to NorthJersey.com. U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said, “More people abuse prescription drugs than the number who use cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and inhalants combined.”
“Over 7 million people over 12 used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons last month on average,” added Fishman.
And state Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said New Jersey saw more than 8,600 admissions to treatment centers from prescription drug abuse, 290 percent more than in 2005.
