/24-7PressRelease/ - OAK RIDGE, NJ, May 02, 2008 — According to recent statistics, each year 32,000 lives are claimed due to prescription drug abuse. This number has rapidly been increasing at an alarming rate since 1996, and is only expected to get worse.
"Nowadays kids are able to get their hands on dangerous drugs simply by opening up their medicine cabinet," says Stephen Della Valle, author of the inspirational memoir Rising Above the Influence: A True Story About Alcohol, Drugs and Recovery. "Most kids don't realize the dangers involved with taking prescription drugs, and it is up to parents and educators to make them aware."
Within the past three years prescription drug abuse has been growing at a faster rate than illegal drugs, especially amongst teenagers. Reports from the U.S. Department of National Drug Control Policy indicate that 2.1 million teenagers abused prescription drugs in 2005 and the most commonly abused drug amongst twelve to thirteen-year-olds was also prescription drugs.
"Young adolescent and teenagers are lulled into thinking prescription drugs are safe and not as hazardous as illegal "street" drugs such as cocaine or heroin," says Stephen.
In his new book, Stephen recounts his personal journey through twenty-plus years of drug abuse and alcoholism, and what ultimately led him into a recovery program that succeeded in helping him overcome his addiction issues—but it took losing his job, his family, his freedom and himself to get there.
"Everybody can make a difference in reducing the rate of increase of prescription drug abuse," says Stephen. "The key is to educate kids as to where drug use will lead them—jail, institutions or death."
Rising Above the Influence is his honest and inspiring account of the depths one man can fall to—and the heights he can achieve if only he reaches out a hand for help.
The book is currently available at http://www.barnesandnoble.com or http://www.amazon.com.
For more information please visit http://www.risingabovetheinfluence.net.
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