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DW WILDCAT WEEKEND WHAT’S INSIDE

NEWS: Who will

you vote for? ASUA candidates announced, p. 10

ARTS: There are more than just cute people at the UA, there are cute pets too, p. 7

FRIDAY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 57, 2016 | DAILYWILDCAT.COM |

DAILYWILDCAT |

Prescription misuse causes worry BY EMILY HOMA

The Daily Wildcat

Drug overdose related deaths have increased dramatically in the U.S. over the last decade with the rise in prescription drug and heroin addictions. With national numbers on the rise, local stats reflect a

problem in the Grand Canyon State. Arizona is ranked 12th in the nation for prescription drug misuse by persons 12 years and older, according to Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. Keith Boesen, UA Poison and Drug Information director, provided insight into the rising epidemic.

“This is definitely a problem, I think what we try to focus on is that these are accidental deaths,” Boesen said. “This is not someone who wanted to commit suicide and took a bunch of pills, this is someone who accidently overdosed on drugs and, in most cases, there is a combination of drugs.”

DISCUS IN THE BLOOD Arizona track and field thrower Viktor Gardenkrans aims for Tokyo Olympics in 2020, aspiring to follow in his family’s discus footsteps

OPINIONS:

Columnists go head-to-head on the proposed athletics fee

 NEWS:

The board of regents looks into university funding and cuts, p. 2

.

/DAILYWILDCAT

DARIEN BAKAS/THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA ATHLETE VICTOR GARDENKRANS throws a discus on the UA Mall on Thursday, Feb. 4. Gardenkrans and his family have been connected to throwing for his entire life.

Boesen emphasized that many people who die from drug overdoses are taking a much larger dose of medicine than what was first prescribed to them because they are trying to feel the same effect. Some drug users combine prescription drugs like opioids

DRUG OVERDOSE, 3

VIDA club takes medicine abroad BY CHEYENNE MERRICK The Daily Wildcat

For many Wildcats, summers are filled with summer school, vacations, internships and volunteering. What if students could do all of these things in the summer within the tropical climate of Central America? They can and in fact, some students do. The UA Volunteers for Intercultural and Definitive Adventures club is set to depart this summer for a two week long adventure in Central America to volunteer, gain experience and spread awareness about healthcare and veterinary care by setting up free clinics in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. VIDA is a non-profit organization that partners volunteers with doctors and communities in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala to provide healthcare to and raise awareness in the communities. The volunteer trips consist of three different teams—medical, veterinary and dental—that travel throughout the regions and set up free clinics to under-served communities. The medical and dental teams set up clinics that provide basic healthcare and dentistry while also conducting home visits to talk

VIDA, 9

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