Why are so many people, especially teenagers, becoming addicted to prescription painkillers? According to a new article in the Washington Post, experts are pointing to four main reasons.

1. The first reason is that people who are not in any pain often experience intense feelings of euphoria and well-being when they take opiate painkillers. They often become addicted to these substances, not realizing how closely related they are chemically to opium and heroin.

2. The second reason is that many believe these drugs are safe because they are available only by prescription. Street drugs, on the other hand, can contain dangerous fillers or impurities that are extremely toxic to the human body.

3. The third reasons is that doctors are writing more prescriptions for painkillers than ever before. According to Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the number of prescriptions for opiate painkillers has gone from 40 million to 180 million in the past 20 years.

4. Finally, there are no government entities in most states that do a good job of monitoring prescription drugs. Only a few states have data bases that keep track of them, and most do not monitor the disposal of leftover pills. This enables people to "doctor shop" or obtain them in emergency rooms.
 

Labels: prescription drugs, causes_of_teen_substance_abuse, painkillers

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse