Whitney Houston's Death A 'Teachable Moment' On Prescription Drugs Says White House Drug Czar

The death of singer Whitney Houston should serve to warn Americans about the danger of abusing prescription drugs, the nation's top drug official says.

"I think it's what we might call a teachable moment, when someone passes," White House Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske told CBS News in an online video released Monday. "Particularly someone that was as highly thought of and was such an incredible performer as Whitney Houston."

Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills hotel on Sunday along with multiple prescription drugs, though the official cause of death has not been determined.

Kerlikowske, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said when he took office three years ago the problem of prescription drug use was not something that was on the public's mind. It did not take long however, for his office to realize how significant the issue was, based on staggering statistics.

Well over 15,000 Americans have died as a result of prescription drug overdoses, he said. As a result, in April 2009, President Barack Obama released a strategy for dealing with prescription drug use, which brings together state and local governments, along with parents to try and tackle the problem.

"They're coming right out of our medicine cabinets, and yet these drugs are as addictive and dangerous as any other drug," Kerlikowske added.

Kerlikowske went on to say say that Houston's past discussions regarding her drug use shows that the issue crosses all social and economic statuses. He described the issue as a disease that can be treated, managed and overcome with the right help.

"We can use this a moment to help people understand and remember that there are literally billions of Americans suffering from this problem," Kerlikowske said.

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Comments

[Jenna Frost]

03:46 PM on 02/20/2012

Interesting article. Prescription drugs can often have negative impact on our health and bodies. It is ultimately the individuals decision on how they use or abuse such drugs.

Here's another interesting article outlining significant deaths that occur from improper drug use. http://www.healingtalks.com/health/20-top-drug-caused-celebrity-deaths-and-their-significance/

Great read.

[rushi2]

06:50 PM on 02/16/2012

First of all, The News Media is just so fast on Passing Judgement" on news these days. The last I checked, the Coroner's Office has not determined the "cause of death" of Whitney Houston, or released a "Autopsy". Is the National News so important that they have to make up a "cause of death" before it can be released by law enforcement officials? Want they feel stupid if Whitney Houston did not pass away from anything to do with the mixture of prescription drugs and alcohol ...! I to have been to 7-8 funerals related to prescription death related (directly and indirectly) . In our state we have the "Prescription Monitoring Programs" which helps control "Doctor Shopping". Yet, it doesn't help to control illegal street drugs, or people that choose to mix the dangerous prescription drugs with other narcotics and/or alcohol. That is why it is so important that family and friends monitor their family and friends, and try to intervene in these types of drug abusers. Thanks for sharing, Charles / UC (02/16/2012)

[noelie19]

07:10 PM on 02/15/2012

For God's sake, a 'teachable moment?'--more spin from the Fed. I rarely watch the nightly news because all the pharma's are running their ads for PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

They're buying up all of the air time, as that is their prime audience. Who isn't walking around loaded these days? ME.

Hello! It's gone upscale.

[schsijvd]

11:31 AM on 02/15/2012

Some of the articles on AOL have become useless and space that could be better used for news to inform the American People about actual events instead of speculating on things that haven't been established. Let's hear about our jobs, our health care, tax cuts and I don't mean repeats that we have been reading about for the past 2 years but actual changes that are going to help the American People.

[fumes]

10:06 AM on 02/15/2012

more spin..

[johnkostrubal]

08:30 AM on 02/15/2012

Another Obama "Puppet" heard from .
It is election year and Obama wants to put his regime in the News anyway he can .
The Czar`s comment is as useless as he is !
Useless, seems to becoming the norm in Washington .

[kariewcpa]

07:28 AM on 02/15/2012

Amazing how this person 3000 miles away knows the cause of death when the coroners performing the autopsy still haven't determined it! There are many things that could have caused her death NOT related to drugs or alcohol. Heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism just to name a few. Before deciding she was a drug addict, I will wait for the official cause of death. If you watch Dr. G, like I do, you know the obvious cause is not always the right one.

[muscle guy]

07:26 AM on 02/15/2012

well what do you know, one of obama's czars, have finnaly said something
useless , but something.........somehow, I dont think we got our monies worth from his 101 czars that dont do anything

[Orange22]

07:22 AM on 02/15/2012

how about you don't give my money to the junkies in PJ's is that a teachable moment?

[Orange22]

07:21 AM on 02/15/2012

politicians hollywood/entertainment should all go that way, the world would be a better place

[JubalTHarshaw]

07:06 AM on 02/15/2012

"A teachable moment?" We have dumped millions of dollars into DARE programs across the country for decades. What "new" information are we supposed to be "teaching" from this event? Drug abusers often die. That isn't news. The War on Drugs is a failure. That isn’t news. This is a personal tragedy for her family but it is an end that most people saw coming for a long time

[noelie19]

07:12 PM on 02/15/2012

I'll ditto that! Blessings to her family and loved ones.

[joelj]

07:03 AM on 02/15/2012

As a physician, I can tell you that people who have a history of addiction/abuse of either alcohol or illegal drugs are much more likely to abuse and/or increase the dose of narcotics, benzodiazepines, "sleepers", and even stimulants (such as those for ADD). Sometimes these drugs are indeed indicated (especially narcotics for acute pain such as following surgery). A prudent physician should make it clear to the patient with a history of addiction/abuse that only a small quantity will be perscribed and there will be NO refills authorized. An addict/alcoholic who is truly in recovery will be very wary of taking any of these meds and will limit himself to the absolute minimum needed and get rid of any remaining medication when he no longer needs it for his acute condition.

[speedydan79]

04:04 AM on 02/15/2012

Her death a teachable moment? Like we don't already know about the dangers of the hydrocodeine family of prescription pain killers which are opiates. They should be removed from the market or prescribed under much more restrictive conditions. I've actually had dentists prescribe it for me after a dental extraction when Ibuprofen would do. The pharmaceutical companies, however, like this dangerous product to be widely available because it means more profits for them.

[rsgreyfox1]

03:11 AM on 02/15/2012

She was a drug store junkie...we got it.
Can we move on now? .

[muscle guy]

07:25 AM on 02/15/2012

how right you are,

[StCyrlyMe2]

01:35 AM on 02/15/2012

No comment!