Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey and assistant district attorney Jennifer C. Rowe are taking the fight against prescription drugs into the county's cities and towns.
"You're not going to win on the street unless you educate people," said Morrissey at a Senior Summit at the Norwood Senior Center Friday.
In speaking to the seniors, the district attorney's office highlighted the role they can play in helping deal with a problem that Morrissey calls the biggest problem his office faces.
He said at the rate his office is dealing with deaths from drug overdoses, the total will be in the 60s for 2013. Morrissey said that is up from 42 cases a year that happened when U.S. Rep. William Keating was the district attorney.
Morrissey also said the increase in crime can be attributed to the increase in drug abuse.
"There's been a rash of housebreaks in the Norwood and Westwood area," said Morrissey. "I'd bet dollars to doughuts these people are breaking into houses for cash and valuables so they can buy drugs."
In battling drug abuse, Morrissey highlighted the success of the drug kiosks, which are placed at local police stations for people to drop off their unused medication. He said they were put into police stations because of the value of the drugs being turned in.
"If we did this at senior centers," he said, "it would make them a target."
Morrissey said people must be aware of what they have in their homes.
"People go to open houses and check and see what is in the medicine cabinets," said Morrissey. "They see what they can take."
The DA's office wants to be able to track what drugs are being prescribed, to whom and where, so they can find areas of abuse.
Morrissey has added David Morgan as a Safe Prescribing Consultant to his staff in order to work on educating the public about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, and also in analyzing what is being prescribed for where and to whom. The office wants to be able to track prescription drug purchases, similar to what pharmaceutical companies can do.
Rowe talked about the importance of having grandparents involved with the discussion on drug abuse. Working with the MetLife Foundation, the office has produced a booklet on "The Power of Grandparents."
The assistant district attorney said children will often be more likely to have conversations with their grandparents, because of their special relationship. The booklet asks grandparents to learn about drug abuse, get "tech-y" to communicate better and more frequently, and know your grandchild's risk level.
"This is personal," said Rowe. "This is in our back yard and where I'm raising my children."
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