Text messaging services have been used to simplify tasks in many sectors, but now they will be used to fight crime.
Georgia's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is hoping to crack down on its state prescription drug problem. Across the United States, illicitly using prescription drugs has been an epidemic since 1990, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over a 24-year span, the "drug overdose death rates in the U.S. have more than tripled."
More than 1,200 pharmacies in the Atlanta metropolitan area have been informed about the DEA's mission.
This crackdown is intended to sift out alleged pharmacists who are illegally providing highly-addictive medication to people without a prescription, CNN reported. Georgia is one of the first states in the nation to implement a short code SMS service to residents, doctor offices and pharmacies.
"The illegal prescription drug market and relative ease of which pharmaceutical substances can be obtained has resulted in a sharp increase in prescription drug abuse," Harry Sommers, special agent in charge of the DEA's Atlanta division, told CNN.
Sommers added that he doesn't think the program will get a lot of information at first, which is why it is important that people report all activity that appears suspicious. Signs of such include a customer who frequents specific locations, pharmacy technicians who accept prescriptions written in clear text or slips that include a stimulant and depressant at the same time — commonly known as uppers and downers.
The value of using text messages
In today's world, sending a text message has become more of the norm. Even though mobile devices can take voice calls, texting is much more discreet and yields faster results. Businesses can benefit from this platform through implementing an SMS marketing service.
Business owners use this as an outlet to share specific sales or coupon codes, but there are a multitude of ways to use text messages. Swift SMS Gateway can help your staff establish a strategy that suits your needs.
