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Prescription drug abuse is state's leading cause of accidental deaths

• Published August 31, 2009

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Heath Ledger was on top of the world. In 2007, having been nominated for an Oscar for his role in the criticallyacclaimed film "Brokeback Mountain," the Australian actor had his pick of challenging, rewarding roles. Ledger had already appeared in many popular films, including "Ten Things I Hate about You" (filmed in part in the state of Washington). And having just turned in a buzz-worthy appearance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," Ledger's star was about to rise even higher.

Heath Ledger was found dead on Jan. 22, 2008. Doctors concluded that the 28-year-old had died from a lethal combination of prescription drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and diazepam.

I wish I could say that the untimely overdose death of this young actor was an isolated incident. But prescription drug abuse is now a national epidemic, more deadly than the heroin and crack epidemics of previous decades.

In Washington state, there are more deaths annually from prescription drug abuse than from meth, cocaine, and heroin combined. Because of the abundance of prescription medications, drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in our state. That means you or a loved one are more likely to die from a drug overdose than from a car crash.

What’s causing this epidemic? Drugs such as oxycontin, vicodin, and methadone are commonly prescribed for pain.

Prescription pain pills offer relief to millions of Americans but present a hidden danger. These kinds of drugs are called “opiates,” the pharmaceutical cousins of heroin. While most people understand that heroin can be fatal, they don’t know how dangerous prescription opiates can be.

With parents unaware of the danger, teenagers are increasingly finding these drugs in medicine cabinets. A survey done by the Office of National Drug Control Policy shows that an alarming number of teens share pharmaceuticals with each other, and mix them together in an incredibly risky new mode of drug experimentation.

At the Attorney General’s Office, we’ve used funds from consumer protection settlements with drug manufacturers — including the makers of OxyContin — to provide more than $1.7 million in grants that promote drug abuse prevention.