GAINESVILLE - The Drug Free Coalition of Hall County Thursday will host a presentation at the Hall County Board of Education offices titled "The Prescription Drug Overdose Epidemic - A Question of Balance."
Parents and students are invited to attend. The session begins at 6:00 and is scheduled to last one hour.
In his presentation, Dr. P. Tennent Slack will define the scope of the prescription drug overdose crisis; discuss why the problem has occurred and the difficulty in effectively addressing it. In closing, he will outline how the Medical Association of Georgia Foundation's Think About It campaign is focused on reducing prescription drug abuse.
Gainesville businessman Dallas Gay will follow Dr. Slack by sharing the story his grandson fight with prescription drug abuse and how in late October 2012 that addiction ended his young life at age twenty-one.
"Addiction to pain medication can be described by 4 C's: loss of Control; Compulsive use; Craving; and Continued use despite harm to self," Dr. Slack said. "Since 2000, accidental prescription drug over dose deaths have far outnumbered both heroin and cocaine O.D. deaths." Dr. Slack cites that in Hall County alone, the dispensing of oxycodone has increased by 666% from 2009 to 2011. He further states: "patients' pain complaints account for up to 80% of all doctor visits."
Dallas Gay will not only share his family's tragic personal story of hope and defeat, and will also outline four steps to preventing prescription drug abuse. Gay says: "These steps are not hard but to be effective they must be followed with absolute discipline. Here is what I am asking everyone to do:
1. Take these drugs only as directed by your physician and only in the minimum amount needed for your condition;
2. Do not take anyone else's drugs and do not share your drugs with anyone;
3. Lockup you drugs in a secure place that no one else can gain access; and
4. Do not stockpile these drugs for future potential use. When your medical condition no longer requires these drugs properly dispose of them by turning them in at a take back event, or one of Hall County's two permanent drug drop box sites."
"Prescription drug diversion and addiction is sweeping our country and now accounts for more accidental deaths than automobile accidents or all of the illegal drugs combined. Everyone needs to feel the responsibility to get educated so they will not become a victim or become an unintentional drug dealer," Gay said.
Deaths from drug abuse are the largest cause of accidental death in the United States and have increased in each of the last 11 years. The CDC reports that one hundred people die from drug over dose every day in the United States. One in four teens has used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
JP Banks, Drug Free Coalition of Hall County director said: "The Coalition is pleased to continue its collaboration with the Medical Association of Georgia Foundation as together we work to educate the public about the danger of prescription drug abuse and provide resources for prevention. Our partnership with the Foundation, local organizations and law enforcement agencies to reduce substance abuse in Hall County is truly a collective endeavor."
P. Tennent Slack, MD received a BS in Physics from Georgia Tech; graduated medical school from Emory University and completed his residency in Anesthesiology from Emory. For 14 years he worked in Anesthesiology at a large community hospital in Atlanta. Dr. Slack attended fellowship in Pain Medicine at Medical College of Georgia in 2008 before returning to his home town of Gainesville. Dr. Slack has practiced Interventional Pain Medicine locally since 2009.
Gay is a volunteer member of the Drug Free Coalition of Hall County, and serves as co-chair of the Medical Association of Georgia Foundation's "Think About It", a campaign to reduce prescription drug abuse. Dallas graduated from Emory University and Georgia State University, with majors in accounting and finance. He is on the Board of Trustees and Treasurer of Elachee Nature Science Center, and served on the Northeast Georgia Medical Center Board from 2007 to 2012. Dallas has been a resident of Hall County for 40 years; married for 51 years; and has two sons and five grandchildren.
For further information contact JP Banks at 770-534-1080 x277 or [email protected].
Saturday
May 31st, 2025
2:56AM
