Re: your July 25 obituary for Tim Howe:

I’m writing in response to the obituary for the 20-year-old man who died from taking Oxycontin for the first time. It was very compassionate for his family to include this information in the obituary, in hopes that the information will help others.

According to the latest national study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, about one in five teenagers has abused a prescription painkiller. That’s more than have experimented with Ecstasy, cocaine, crack or LSD.

The report from this recent study showed that close to half of all teens believe using prescription medications to get high is “much safer” than street drugs.

This young man’s story illustrates the fallacy of this belief. Not only do many young people think that prescription drugs are safer, but close to one-third of the teenagers surveyed said they also thought that prescription painkillers were not addictive. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“Ease of access” was cited as a major factor in teenagers trying the medications, with medicine cabinets at home or at friends’ homes a likely source, the survey found.

Parents and others need to know that prescription drug abuse is a growing trend in the United States and to take appropriate steps to educate themselves and their teens about the dangers of abusing prescription and over-the-counter medications. An excellent source of current information can be found on the Web at www.theantidrug.com.

Tragedies like this young man’s death will occur, despite our best efforts. But there are things we can all do to decrease the frequency. Specifically, set a good example by using medications only when necessary. Keep an inventory of what you have and monitor it. Don’t keep medications around if you don’t need them, and keep all painkillers, sedatives, and stimulants in a place where only you have access.

— Ruth Cooper, Coordinator, S.A.F.E. Coalition, Ojai
(S.A.F.E. Coalition works to create a Substance Abuse-Free Environment for youth in the Ojai Valley. — Editor)