Across the world abusing prescription drugs causes more deaths than street drugs do combined (“International Statistics”). Prescription drugs are so easy to get ahold of and so easy to get addicted to. The misuse of prescription drugs have gotten out of hand. These drugs can cause unintentional overdoses easily. The misuse of prescription drugs can lead to addiction, affect the health of users in a dramatic way, and even cause death. According to Michael Klein, “The most prescription drugs that are commonly misused are opioids, tranquillizers, sedatives, and hypnotics.” Unintentional overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers have quadrupled since 1999 and have outnumbered those involving heroin and cocaine since 2002. (Klein). The reason some people abuse opioids is just to “get high”. Taking too many of these types of pills can really mess you up. Abusing opioids can really affect your body more than you think. Also getting addicted can tear families apart and you could lose a lot. Some people may think they are safe taking prescription drugs but in reality abusing them is not healthy at all. Opioids can manage pain quite effectively, and that is part of the reason some people get addicted. Stimulants which are a drug that increases levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body can …show more content…
If there is someone who is prescribed pain medications and is worried someone may try taking them, they can count the pills regularly. Counting the pills regularly can help keep track of how many a person has and it’s a way for them to know they aren’t being taken. If someone is worried about a family member and they suspect that someone is abusing prescription drugs, they can look for any signs of change in the person’s behavior. If someone has prescribed medication and doesn’t want children or anyone but them to be able to get ahold of it, it is best to store the pills in a secure
Throughout the past three decades, there has been a deadly nationwide epidemic in America. Like a disease, it has continued to spread in the United States causing sickness, broken up families, and death. However, this disease cannot be treated with antivirals, nor can be prevented with vaccines. This disease is the widespread misuse of opioids and opioid variants. Opioids have become so highly addictive and abused over the last 30 years that “between 1999 and 2019, nearly half a million people died from opioid overdose, over half of all US deaths due to drug overdose” (Gardner et.
The number of ER visits due to oxycodone pills, including Percocet, increased by over one fifty percent between 2004 and 2008. It is also estimated that about ten percent of the patients who are currently prescribed with Percocet for pain relief will continue to stick on to the drug leading to its addiction and abuse. Another unsettling fact about the Percocet abuse is that the adolescents use Percocet for recreational purposes and end up getting addicted to the drug over time. Even if they try to quit they will experience obsessive and compulsive thoughts about the drug.
The opioids epidemic interventions are essential to prevent prescribed opioids abuse, promote safe prescriptions for individuals and decrease mortality rates. Furthermore, the goals in practicing safe and regulated medicine, enables the individual who needs opioids analgesics to control their pain and suffering. Implementing interventions to this issue would include holding health care professionals accountable for misconduct, educating and evaluating physicians, pharmacists, and monitoring prescribers to apply state laws and regulations. A collaborative approach to regulate, educate and monitor is inevitable for effective outcomes! Consequently, many physicians may possibly be hesitant prescribing opioids drugs to prevent penalties.
“ Because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused. Regular use- even as prescribed by a doctor can lead to dependence ,and when misused, opioid pain relievers can lead to overdose incidents and deaths” (Drugabuse.gov/opioids) Prescribing opioids have more dangers to the human than they do
Underlying Causes: The increase in the sale of opioids is considered to be the root of the opioid crisis, as the drugs have been proven to be highly addictive. An addiction to prescriptive opioids, however, can lead to an addiction to synthetic, illegal opioids, such as heroine or fentanyl, which are less expensive and easier to acquire. In fact, in their journal article, “Associations of nonmedical pain reliever use and initiation of heroin use in the United States” Pradip Muhuri and associates discovered that “the recent (12 months preceding interview) heroin incidence rate was 19 times higher among those who reported prior nonmedical prescription pain reliever (NMPR) use than among those who did not (0.39 vs. 0.02 percent)” (Muhuri et. al). In other words, abusing prescription opioids significantly raises the chances of abusing illicit drugs, such as heroin.
Unit 2, Article 2.1: Arria, Amelia M. (2011). “Prescription Drug Diversion” (pp. 42-44). Unit 3, Article 3.4: Johnston, Lloyd D. (2012) “Monitoring the Future” (pp. 88-107). Trends in Adolescent Prescription Drug Abuse • Nearly one in five teens report abusing prescription drugs to get high (Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 2006). • One third of all new abusers of prescription drugs in 2006 were 12 to 17 years old (SAMHSA, 2008).
Opioids is a big issue because Americans are addicted to drugs especially opioids. After a surgery doctors give patients opioids because they are a pain killer. After patients have been taking opioids they soon are not in pain anymore but they keep taking the pills because it makes their body feel relieved. People get addicted to this and can’t function without them.
Dependence on prescription opioids can stem from treatment of chronic pain and in recent years is the cause of the increased number of opioid overdoses. Opioids are very addictive substances, having serious life threatening consequences in case of intentional or accidental overdose. The euphoria attracts recreational use, and frequent,
Opioid Epidemic in the United States The opioid crisis has risen over the years here in America. The addiction to painkillers has caused many drug overdoses across America. According to the Vox," In 2015, more than 52,000 people have died from drug overdoses from linked to opioids such as Percocet, heroin, Oxycontin or even fentanyl. This problem did not become an overnight health crisis, but it has become quickly known in America. Expanding our drug treatment centers across America would provide the support to those who are addicted to drugs.
For example, one time in high school, I witness this kid put 5 white rectangular pills in his mouth, from my point of view I thought that was excessive. The next thing we know this kid is just acting totally different, but somehow he manages to keep a low profile and the teachers don’t notice. Prescription drug abuse is on the rise as we have seen on the news if you don’t live under a rock. Teens and adults have managed to get their hands on these prescriptions. People abuse prescription drugs because they think they will have a better time
These pills, such as xanax and oxycodone allow people for short periods of time to withdraw from the harsh reality faced today. “Between 1997 and 2002, sales of oxycodone and methadone nearly quadrupled” (Okie). Around 15 years later and the prescription pill problem is continuing to skyrocket. Since prescription pills are dispersed out to anyone by doctors, many people do not realize that it is as much of an illicit drug as cocaine and heroin is. “Misinformation about the addictive properties of prescription opioids and the perception that prescription drugs are less harmful than illicit drugs are other possible contributors to the problem” (NIDA).
Prescription drugs (opiates only) have caused over 165,000 deaths within the last 15 years and is currently on the rise. Over 2 million Americans in 2014 were addicted to Opiate prescription narcotics. The most troubling fact is listed directly on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: “As many as 1 in 4
Drug addiction discriminates against no one. Drug addiction is often close to home. “Even people with no baseline genetic risk can become addicts if their environment is stressful.” Drug addiction is a complex problem that is often misunderstood and difficult to address due to the high illicit drug use. According to the 2012 Lancet Series on addiction it “estimates 200 million people world wide use illicit drugs each year.”
Over the counter drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer and do not require the prescription of a registered medical practioner. So they are also known as non prescription drugs. This is a serious and growing global health challenge. Some OTC medicines relieves aches, pain and itches. Some prevent or cure diseases like tooth decay and athletes foot.
Treatment of addictions can successful in many ways, and are stepping stones for curing the addiction. However most declare a treatment unsuccessful when a relapse occurs. This is not the case, as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) puts it, “Unfortunately, when relapse occurs many deem treatment a failure. This is not the case: Successful treatment for addiction typically requires continual evaluation and modification as appropriate, similar to the approach taken for other chronic diseases. For example, when a patient is receiving active treatment for hypertension and symptoms decrease, treatment is deemed successful, even though symptoms may recur when treatment is discontinued.