While laudable progress has been made over the last 17 years in reducing the state’s child death rate, challenges remain.
Nearly everything in the just-released N.C. Child Task Force annual report is upbeat. The 2008 child death rate is the lowest ever recorded.
Although 1,573 residents age 17 and younger died across the state, that’s still an 18 percent rate drop in the last decade. Put another way, had the initial 1991 rate still been in effect, an additional 800 children would have died statewide last year.
Prenatal health care initiatives have helped reduce infant mortality. And young lives have been saved because of graduated licensing for teenage drivers, stricter child safety seat regulations and all-terrain vehicle laws that better protect young riders.
That kind of vigilance may be needed to focus attention on youngsters abusing easy-to-get prescription drugs.
The state report shows drug poisonings are up only slightly. However, a local counselor says about half of her adolescent and teenage clientele are using prescription drugs.
A 2008 Columbia University study cites a rising abuse curve, noting that some kids find it easier to get high by raiding the family medicine cabinet than buying beer.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse warns that school grounds can be open-air drug markets with students trafficking in pills swiped from home. If they’re OK for grandma, they reason, they’re OK for us. However, abusing prescription drugs can lead to dependency and illness.
The first line of defense is parents better securing both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. It’s no different from locking the liquor cabinet or hiding the car keys.
Given the state task force’s success in addressing other dangers, shining light on this problem before it gets out of hand should also produce results.
Post a Comment
