East Texas Agency Focuses on Prescription Med Abuse

MARSHALL — Next Step Community Solutions has three coalitions working across thirteen East Texas counties to combat underage drinking and drug use. Program specialist Staci Clark says, “Adults don’t think that prescription meds are as dangerous because they’re written by doctors, but we know that in this region, we have one of the highest…as far as insurance claims for opioid prescriptions as anywhere else in the state.” Clark says teens are increasingly abusing un-used prescriptions they find at home. Recently, the organization received a grant from the state that will fund a secure prescription drug dropoff location so left over, un-used prescriptions can be properly destroyed.