Sens. Susan Collin (R-Maine), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder this week calling for the Department of Justice to address the issue of prescription drug abuse among the nation’s service members and veterans.
The letter calls for the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish prescription drug take-back programs in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Agency.
A rule proposed by the DEA as part of the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 does not allow the participation of the DoD or VA in the DEA’s drug-take back efforts because the unique conditions of DoD and VA facilities are not taken into account.
Under the current law, the DEA only has the authority to designate authorized collectors of controlled substances through drug-take back programs for the purpose of safe disposal.
According to data collected by the Department of Veterans Affairs from 21 states, 22 veterans take their lives each day. Additionally, 349 service members committed suicide in 2012. The January 2012 “Army 2020: Generating Health and Discipline in the Force” report found that 29 percent of suicides involved individuals with a known history of pyschotropic medication use, including antidepressants and pain medicine.
The report recommended establishing a military drug take-back program to combat prescription drug misuse or abuse.
“The suicide rate among our active duty service members and our veterans is both deeply disturbing and absolutely unacceptable,” Collins said. “The data suggest that prescription drug abuse is a salient factor in many of these cases. By simply giving our service members and veterans access to facilities where they can dispose of prescriptions that are no longer needed, we can help save lives.”