In Ohio, deaths from accidental drug overdoses kill more people than car accidents. The victims vary in age, race and socio-economic status. One thing they have in common, the Port Clinton News-Herald has reported, is that their addictions began as abuse of prescription medication.

Many victims didnt start with the needle, but with pills, often prescribed by a doctor for legitimate reasons. They slipped unwittingly into their addiction. Others swiped drugs from a relatives medicine cabinet, not realizing they would become slaves to the powerful narcotics. Once hooked, they learned to game the medical system to get their fix.

Communities are beginning to notice, and take action against, increased abuse of prescription drugs, but lack of funding makes it difficult. Yet, studies have found that every dollar spent on drug abuse prevention saves about $60 that would have to be spent on treatment.

Labels: prescription drugs, drug_abuse, painkillers

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 1 Comment

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 1 Comment