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Prescription Opioid Misuse

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Since 1999, almost 500,000 people have died from an opioid overdose (CDC, 2019). Prescription opioid misuse is a leading cause of addiction in the United States and accounts for a large portion of opioid related deaths. The PROMISE Initiative is committed to changing behavior surrounding prescription opioids and providing resources on how community members can help in this fight.

Example of prescription opioid misuse can include

  • taking a medication without a prescription.
  • taking someone else’s prescription painkillers.
  • taking more than the dosage prescribed by the doctor.
  • taking a medication for a purpose other than the reason it was prescribed.
  • doctor shopping.

The PROMISE team is working to provide individuals with ways to prevent opioid misuse within the home. Below you will find a video for more tips and tricks to safely store, use, and dispose of prescription medicine. Learn more about the opioid epidemic in the United States by visiting https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html .

5 Steps to Prevent Prescription Opioid Misuse Know what you have. Store it securely. Never share it. Take only what you need. Turn in what’s left. If you or someone you care about needs help, please call the Mississippi Department of Mental Health helpline at 1-877-210-8513.

Learn more about the history of the opioid epidemic and the efforts to address it.

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