Bereaved Mother: Education the Best Medicine for Prescription Drug Abuse

In 2010, April Rovero laid a foundation.

This year, her focus is on building upwards and outwards.

, Rovero founded the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse.

Through the foundation, she began educating youth and parents about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. Her main goal: To prevent unnecessary deaths like Joey’s.

“I’m convinced that if Joey knew the dangers of prescription drugs he would still be alive today,” Rovero said. “If I can prevent another family from having to face such a loss then it’s all worth it.”

So this year, Rovero said she will continue to get the word out to as many people as she can, as many times as she can. Already, she has many speaking events and educational conferences planned for this year.

The first is a workshop for parents at the upcoming “” Soroptimist International Conference on Feb. 12.

The workshop will feature speakers such as Dublin High Vice Principal Teresa Young, who will focus on parenting tools, and a Danville police officer who will discuss what he’s seen of prescription drug abuse in the field.

A young Danville woman will also speak about her own addictions during the hour-long presentation.

On Feb. 26, Rovero's organization will also make an appearance at the Dublin Police Department’s Prescription Drug Awareness Forum to further spread the message.

In March, Rovero said she’s been asked to speak at Corondelet’s and De La Salle’s “Every 15 Minutes” program about the dangers of drunk driving.

Rovero said she wants to make sure and spread her message to all age groups, not just parents and grade-school students.

“This year I’m in the process of working with the dean of Diablo Valley College who wanted to do an awareness program of sorts to educate college students and staff,” she said. “I’d like to do a community awareness thing there to get the word out.”

And according to Rovero, that’s the important thing her for this year – to get the word out.

So she said she’s working non-stop and taking every opportunity.

Even though dates are not set, she is already planning a parent night at Axis Community Health, a speaking event at the Dougherty Valley San Ramon Rotary Club and rallies. She also plans to place educational materials on local high school campuses.

The biggest goal this year is to expand the organization to other parts of the country, she said.

“Right now I have about five different people throughout the country that want to start up new chapters of organizations like [ours],” said Rovero. “They will form their own organizations, with their own names but I’d help them get started.”

By helping others spread the word, Rovero hopes to be even more effective at ending the country’s epidemic of prescription drug abuse – and hopefully save many lives in the process.