Prescription Painkillers: The New Fix For Drug Abusers
Over 6 million Americans abuse prescription painkillers, which now cause more overdoses than heroin and cocaine combined.
Prescription painkillers are second only to marijuana in illegal drug use.
Many times, the addiction starts innocently enough. You may legitimately use painkillers after surgery or for chronic pain.
But it’s easy to get hooked on the sense of euphoria provided by the drugs.
As the July 4th arrest of Al Gore III showed, prescription drug abuse is growing among teenagers and college kids, too.
Gore III was arrested for illegally possessing marijuana, Valium, Vicodin, and Xanax. Those drugs plus alcohol and Adderall, a stimulant for attention deficit disorder, are college favorites.
From 2002 to 2005, prescription drug abuse among 18- to 25-year-olds increased by 17%. College prescription drug abuse rates were highest among men, whites, fraternity and sorority members, and at schools in the Northeast.
In 2005, there were more new abusers of prescription drugs than any other illegal drug.
Prescription drugs are readily available and don’t carry the stigma of street drugs like heroin.
Nearly 60% of abusers get their prescription drugs from family or friends. They also get them from websites that don’t require a prescription or they “doctor shop” to get multiple prescriptions.
Some abusers even forge prescriptions.
These drugs are highly addictive and almost impossible to quit without medical help. Successful treatment may include detox, medication, and counseling. Recovery support groups are also helpful.
But relapse rates are high.
Many people mistakenly believe prescription drugs are safer than street drugs.
Unfortunately, that’s not true. Accidental prescription drug deaths are increasing.
Technorati Tags: prescription drugs, drug abuse
July 13th, 2007 at 10:33 am
This happened to my neighbor. She was given a prescription painkiller after surgery and about a year later, she went into rehab. She got hooked. The funny thing is she isn’t someone you’d think would be a drug addict. She has a husband and 2 young boys, a nice house, no money troubles, and she’s like one of the most nicest people I’ve ever met. But she still got hooked and started doing all kinds of crazy drug addict type things to get her prescriptions filled. If it could happen to her, it could happen to anybody.
July 13th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
The pharmacy students at our medical center sported a shirt once that said,”Drugs Are My Life.” Perhaps it should become the new motto of our country! As long as we live in a drug drenched society these problems will never go away and continue to become worse. Legal or illigal, they are all drugs and have huge potential for abuse.
July 13th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
We always think people who use prescription drugs are too high class to become drug addicts. They always go to rehab though, not jail like the other junkies.
July 13th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Stephanie, I’ve seen on the news where people go to jail over prescription drugs, especially if they were forging prescriptions or stealing the drugs.
July 13th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
From the groups you listed who were most likely to use these, it looks like an affluent white drug, at least where college kids are concerned. It’s a shame that kids would hurt themselves like that.
July 13th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Put them in jail. They’ll stop.