Pill abuse demands solutions

Three State Senate committees are due to hold a roundtable discussion with officials from state, county and city agencies on Wednesday in Manhattan, to search for new ideas to stem the tide of prescription drug abuse. With pill abuse in the news almost daily -- including the opiate-related deaths of 98 people in Nassau in 2010, June's deadly drugstore robbery in Medford, and armed robberies of other Long Island pharmacies -- the event is happening none too soon. It comes on the heels of Thursday's announcement by Nassau Executive Edward Mangano that the county will host drug disposal days for residents to turn over unwanted medication, and the creation of a committee to study prescription drug abuse and devise recommendations, two worthy initiatives to combat the problem.