Prescription Drug Abuse: A Prescription for Danger
Vicodin, OxyContin, Valium, Xanax, Ritalin: All of these are prescription drugs that, when abused, are just as addictive and dangerous as illegal street drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines. Many people are under the false impression that because something is legal, it’s safe. However, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of poisonings and deaths associated with prescription drug abuse, especially among teens and young adults.
In fact, abuse of prescription painkillers now ranks second (behind marijuana) as the nation’s most prevalent illegal drug problem. More people ages 12-17 abuse prescription drugs than cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines combined. This could be due to the fact that it’s extremely easy for teens to obtain prescription drugs—in 2007, a study showed that 70 percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives (with or without their knowledge).
Other ways for abusers to obtain these drugs are by forging prescriptions; “doctor shopping,” or going to multiple doctors to get multiple prescriptions; buying them through illegal Internet pharmacies; and buying them on the street.
There are three classes of prescription drugs that are most commonly abused: opioids, which are used to treat pain (codeine, oxycodone, and morphine); central nervous system depressants, which are used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders (benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax); and stimulants, which are used to treat narcolepsy, ADHD, and obesity (dextroamphetamines like Adderall and methylphenidates like Ritalin).
In addition to the risk of addiction, abuse of opioids and other pain relievers can slow or stop breathing; abuse of depressants can result in seizure, respiratory depression, and decreased heart rate; and stimulant abuse can lead to high body temperature, irregular heart rate, cardiovascular failure, and seizure.
Prescription drugs are being abused at record levels: An estimated 48 million people ages 12 and older have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons, representing approximately 20 percent of people in the US. These numbers suggest that prescription drug abuse poses a public health threat.
Recently, a national alliance of families, patients, consumer groups, drug abuse prevention advocates, and the pharmaceutical industry released a proposal to counter the increasing abuse of prescription drugs. The proposal includes these suggestions to help curtail abuse:
1.) Improved medical training and implementation of best practices in pain medicine
2.) More research and funding into non-opiate formulations and improved dispensing methods
3.) Increased intervention in trafficking by foreign Internet pharmacies
4.) Increased use of health care IT and patient identification systems
“Improved prescription and treatment protocols and accelerated implementation of IT systems in patient care are the first steps in reining in this public health threat,” said Michael Barnes, executive director of the Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence. “The next step is greater public awareness through a national education campaign.”
If you are a parent, talk to your kids about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Keep your own prescriptions somewhere other than a medicine cabinet, and be sure to dispose of prescription drugs in a safe way (click here to see safe disposal options). If you or someone you know are addicted to or abusing prescription drugs, it is critical to get medical treatment or to go to a residential treatment program for addiction.
