VIRGINIA BEACH -- It's a drug problem that might not come to mind immediately, but the fact is one person in the United States dies every 19 minutes from prescription drug abuse.
Wednesday, February 22, a program at Corporate Landing Middle School focuses on the issue.
"We've had just heart wrenching stories of senior citizens who are on medication because they have a crippling arthritic condition and family comes to visit and, at the end of the visit, the medicine is gone," said Dr. Robert Hansen with Bon Secours Neuroscience Center for Pain Management.
Hansen explained people often do not safeguard their prescriptions. Because of it, others may take medicine for personal use or to sell.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports about 7 million people took psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical reasons. The category misused most was pain killers.
"If you are going to take drugs, and you're going to mix these drugs, and you're gonna go for the high with pills, and you're gonna take these Fentanyl patches and things you don't know about, then, you're gonna mix 'em up, you're gonna go to sleep, and you might not wake up," said Tom Sullivan, whose son, Barry, died in 2010.
A combination of alcohol, Xanax, and Fentanyl killed Barry and his friend, David Ellison.
"Losing my son has changed me forever," Sullivan told 13News. "All I can say to the kids is watch what you do, because, don't go out there and just get all high, and think that it's gonna keep on going, and you're gonna have a good time the more you take of whatever, because it might be the last day that you take anything."
The program, Impact of Prescription Drug Abuse in Virginia Beach, begins at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Corporate Landing Middle School, which is located at 1597 Corporate Landing Parkway, Virginia Beach. Everyone is welcome to attend.
In addition to Dr. Hansen, the program will feature Detective Rachel McGraw with Virginia Beach Police Department and Colin Stolle with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
