In Columbus and the Southern Ohio area, prescription drug abuse is rising, and not just among adults. The Recovery Center of Fairfield County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Mental Health Services Board reports that in 2009, 58 percent of high school seniors lived in a home where a family member had been prescribed a pain killer during that year. Twenty-two percent of seniors had used opiates at least once, and nine percent of Columbus-area high school seniors had used opiates at least 20 times.
Deaths related to prescription drug overdoses are also rising in rural southern Ohio and Columbus. From 2004 to 2009, there was a 650 percent increase in the number of Madison County residents who received treatment for addiction to opiates. This staggering statistic is just one reason why the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is working hard to fight this and other drug abuse problems in Columbus.
How to Become a DEA Agent in Columbus
Before becoming a DEA agent in Columbus, one must meet certain requirements. They include having a college degree or specialized experience, being older than 21 but younger than 36, being an American citizen with a valid driver’s license, being able to obtain and maintain Top Secret clearance, and being physically able to perform the duties of a DEA agent. Even if one meets these requirements, it is only possible to become a DEA agent in Columbus through training, which will be tailored to a candidate’s position in the DEA’s Columbus District Office.
Columbus is part of the DEA’s Detroit Division, and houses the Ohio state District Office for this division. Columbus DEA careers can be quite challenging and are not for the faint of heart. Special Agent Recruiter Christopher Taylor (313-234-4275) can provide more information on the daily job duties and challenges faced by those who secure DEA jobs in Columbus.
Drug Abuse Prevention Services in Columbus
The city of Columbus has taken a proactive stance when it comes to drug abuse, and has created many agencies and programs to try to prevent drug abuse before it starts. No resident will ever be denied admission to one of these programs if they can’t pay an admission fee.
Columbus’ Public Health Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program Drug provides age-specific, culturally sensitive programs to city residents in need. Leadership Resiliency is a program based in the Columbus school system for students between the ages of 14 and 19. The You’re Extra Special (Y.E.S.) Program targets children between the ages of 8 and 13 whose lives have been affected by drugs or alcohol. The SAGE (Substance Abuse General Education) Program is a general drug abuse educational program for people who do not need intervention or treatment. The city also provides trainings on Children of Alcoholics, talking with children about drugs, and family connectedness.