Addiction to prescription pills and opiates is one of the most daunting health problems affecting the United States. Odds are you probably have a friend or family member who is battling it—15 million people in the US abuse prescription drugs. 36,500 US citizens are dying each year from prescription drug overdoses—1,915 in just Ohio in 2012.
For Holland residents Kyle and April Schalow, prescription pill abuse hits close to home. April became addicted to painkillers in 2009 and began to hide her secret life from her husband and children. The deceit nearly tore the family apart.
“I was ready to pack up, take the kids and leave,” said Kyle Schalow. “That’s where I was at. She finally came clean with me and has been sober for 2 and a half years. It gets better, don’t get me wrong. But as a parent, you want better for your kids. I had to make a choice.”
After April got clean, the couple decided to share their story on Oprah’s “Lifeclass” television show, taped and aired in August of 2012. “Family Secrets,” the segment they were featured on, left the couple inspired.
“When we walked out [of the studio], we said ‘lets take this 5-7 minutes of national TV time and try and help other people,” said Kyle Schalow. “That’s where the original seed was planted.”
Now the couple have channeled that energy to help create a day of awareness—May 2nd will mark Ohio’s first “Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness and Education Day”, created by Ohio HB 399 earlier this year. The Schalows have been recognized by the Lucas County Commissioners, who have declared May 2014 as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness & Education Month and the first Friday in October as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness & Education Day in Lucas County.
An inaugural ceremony recognizing Ohio HB399 will be held on May 2nd at Community Homecoming Park (7807 Angola Rd.) in Holland from noon to 3pm. The event will feature a memorial service and several keynote speakers—including Sheriff John Tharp, Lucas County Commissioner Carol Contrada and Ohio State Senator Edna Brown—and will serve as a day of education to raise awareness about the epidemic. The Schalows will also present the Rx Epidemic Memorial—a sculpture created out of nearly 8,000 empty prescription pill bottles that have been donated from across the country.
"The idea is to eventually collect 36,500 bottles to represent the approximately 100 people who die every day from prescription drug overdose,” said Schalow. “The night after we appeared on [Oprah], I was thinking a lot about how big a topic recycling has been and came up with the idea. I was inspired by the association between junkies and prescription pill bottles. Empty pill bottles are often discarded or thrown out, because we assume they have no value. Unfortunately, some people have this same mentality with how they treat people who have an addiction to opiates.”
The Schalows hope to eventually have the memorial placed in the National Archives and to expand the foundation to eventually become an institution to aid people as they seek recovery from prescription drug addiction.
“There is such a stigma placed on addiction,” said April Schalow. “People want to keep everything hush hush and place shame on people instead of helping them. I believe that by speaking out, I can give hope to others and show them that recovery is possible.”
If you wish to volunteer on May 2nd or just want to learn more about the foundation, contact the Schalows at [email protected] or search Facebook for National Prescription Drug Epidemic Awareness Day. Set-up and assembly of the memorial will begin at 9am.
