Accessible legal drugs enhancing problems

The face of drugs and those who use them has no stereotype. All around the United States and throughout western North Carolina, an abuser may be your next door neighbor, your coworker, your son or daughter, maybe even your grandmother.
In the April 7 article that kicked off this series, Clay County Sheriff Vic Davis said, “No one gets up one morning and says, ‘I’m going to be a drug addict. But almost everyone has someone in their family that is affected.”
Richie Tannerhill, a peer trainer for Smoky Mountain Mental Health LME/MCO, has seen addicts of all ages and at many levels of society. The drug epidemic sweeping the country began with prescription pain medications, but has morphed into heroin, methamphetamines and other drugs. Clay County Sheriff’s Detective Todd Wingate provided more information.
“The realization that’s come to light is prescription pills have become a major concern,” he said. “The healthcare industry has identified healthcare providers as a large demographic of abusers. Young people sometimes gather all the pills they can find in their houses to take them recreationally, but then become addicted.”