FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Press Release)
April, 2011 --In this day and age, although society seems to be growing and
expanding faster than people can keep up with it, science and
technology still strive to stay ahead of the game. But who are
the “trendsetters” and whose best interest do they
have at heart? When it comes to substance abuse– the play
changes and ball is always in somebody else’s court.
Teenagers are turning to drugs of the day before they get
banned. States have generally updated their controlled substance
laws through the legislative process, but there is growing
pressure for that to change. New regulations or updates to
existing laws often take multiple attempts and years to gain
legislative approval, which means many substances that prove
to be harmful and even on occasions deadly, stay legal and
remain on the market. Parents of teenagers are very worried
for their kids’ safety. They see their kids taking substances
such as salvia, a leafy sage plant that produces a hallucinogenic
effect. It is smoked, chewed or taken in a potent distilled
liquid extract form. The drug, which is legal, recently was
in the news being used by Iowa teens. It costs as little as
$9 a hit. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has issued warnings
about the substance and this is the fifth consecutive year
that state officials have tried to ban the drug, but still,
to no avail. This is at least the third or fourth time that
this salvia bill has been presented, Mark Smith of the state
public defender's office told lawmakers last week. He added
that if somebody besides the Legislature had the authority
to regulate where these drugs go, this could have been dealt
with four or five years ago.
Some state and national drug control advocates said it would
be in everyone’s best interest to adopt a process similar
to the one in Minnesota. There, the state's board of pharmacy
can update controlled substance laws on its own; a process
that often can be completed in four to six months vs. potentially
years through the legislative process. However, the Minnesota
Legislature can review or make changes as it sees fit.
"In Wisconsin, a controlled substance board can update or
enact the state's rules on potentially harmful drugs. That
process, which can take more than a year, involves review
from a legislative committee. The National Association of
Boards of Pharmacy, a professional advocacy group in Illinois,
also encourages states to adopt processes like those in Minnesota,
where a regulatory board can change drug laws without needing
legislative approval." - Jason Clayworth, DesMoinesRegister.com.
Many legislatures, like Iowa, are in session only part of
the year, making it hard for the state to quickly enact or
update drug restrictions.
Legislators Hesitate to Give Power to Board
Two Republican lawmakers on the House Public Safety Committee,
which oversees much of the state's drug law, expressed deep
concerns about the prospect of the Legislature turning over
rule-making authority to a state board. "I'm all for
making the code shorter, but the one hesitancy, especially
for us who have been here for a while, is that the authority
by rule-making just scares the bejesus out of us," said
Rep. Tom Sands, R-Wapello, a member of the House Public Safety
Committee. Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, has introduced
a bill, House File 29, that would grant the state's pharmacy
board more temporary rule-making authority to place limits
on controlled substances until the Legislature could meet
to review the issues. "What scare the bejeebies out of
me is young people accessing these substances," Smith
said. "My feeling is that it's in the public's interest
to be able to act quickly and get these substances off of
the market."
The truth is that this is a frightening issue if not given
enough attention. Teenagers are now more than ever looking
to their peers for the latest trends. Substance abuse is increasingly
becoming popular and the old laws and legislations are not
holding down the fort. Perhaps it is time for some real change.
If you are a parent/guardian of a teen that is abusing or
addicted to drugs and need guidance, please call or helpline
below.
Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone
call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you
need immediate attention you may contact us:
Teen Addiction Help: 1-888-757-6237
Addiction Treatment for Young Adults and Adults : 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com
or e-mail
us.
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