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News in the Fight Against Prescription Drug Abuse

September 17, 2010 by

[HTML1] This week Dr. Gracer interviews April Rovero, Founder of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse (NCAPDA). April lost a son needlessly to inadvertent drug overdose. This unfortunately happens to thousands of young adults each year.

After the huge loss April formed the NCAPDA. This organization aims to educate students and parents about this problem and also to provide a framework for other organizations in other communities to become more effective in combating prescription drug abuse. Since Gracer’s original interview with April, NCPDA has grown remarkably in its scope.

(Disclosure: Dr. Gracer is an advisor to NCAPDA and serves on their board of directors, both unpaid positions).

More about April Rovero
April Rovero retired from Lucent Technologies as a Program Management Director in 2001 after a 30 year career in telecommunications and is currently employed as an Outreach Specialist at Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) in Concord, Calif.  Her son, Joseph John Rovero, III (Joey) died accidentally on December 18, 2009 from a lethal combination of alcohol and prescription drugs (Oxycodone and Xanax). Joey was a senior at Arizona State University, and was 21 years old.

More about Zack
Zack’s best friend, Joey, the son of April Rovero the founder of NCAPDA, died as a result of accidental drug and alcohol overdose in December 2009, while a student at Arizona State University. Zack is a student at Las Positas College in Livermore, Ca. and is very active in promoting awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse through his work with NCAPDA.

More about the NCAPDA
The National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse is a pending non-profit organization, formed in March of 2010 by April Rovero and Greg Van Ess, as a result of the deaths of each of their sons to PDA during 2009.  The purpose of the organization is to drive awareness of the epidemic of prescription drug abuse across the U.S.

All individuals are encouraged to find the NCAPDA on Facebook, as well as visit the website to learn more about the extreme dangers of prescription drug abuse and misuse, and what you can do to help save the lives of loved ones; your friends and family.

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About Richard Gracer

Richard I. Gracer, MD, is the founder of Gracer Behavioral Health Services, an innovative and comprehensive substance abuse program that stresses the reduction of cravings, and has been in medical practice since 1974. He is certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Practice, and a Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management. He edited Beating the Years, Beating Sports Injuries, and Beating Back Pain (Barron’s, 2003,2005, 2006), and wrote the popular “Ask the Doctor” column in the Lamorinda Sun for 10 years. He is the author of A New Prescription for Addiction.

Dr. Gracer is also the Host of A New Prescription for Health on WomensRadio. A New Prescription for Healthfeatures discussions with noted experts, both researchers and practitioners, on cutting edge, holistic, and comprehensive treatments for pain and addiction. Aimed at the educated person seeking more information, this series provides hard-to-get information and insights, including interviews with actual patients, on treatment of these difficult and pervasive problems.

Email Dr. Richard Gracer by clicking HERE.