Prescription Drug Abuse Is Growing
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The non-medical use of prescription drugs has become a serious epidemic in America. Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population has used a drug prescription for non medical reasons at some point. The most susceptible population to this wave of abuse is the elderly. They are prescribed more medications than any other age group. However, the fastest growing prescription drugs abuse seems to be rising among young adults. Experts have stated that prescription drugs abuse is on the rise because access to most medications have become easier and more frequent. Of any drug prescription, pain relievers have become the drug of choice. Listed here are the top three drug prescription abuses by category:
Painkillers
Morphine, Oxycodone and Codeine
Stimulants
Adderall, Dexedrine and Ritaline
Sedatives
Xanax, Valium and Librium
Drug Abuse Misconceptions
According to Dr. Wilson, director of the Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, “People seem to feel more comfortable taking prescription drugs these days because they mistakenly think it is safer than street drugs.” The dangerous part about all of this is that every medication is made specifically for a particular individual. A drug prescription that could be safe for one person might be lethal to somebody else.
Other abuses occur from sharing medication leftovers, swapping drugs among friends and faking medical conditions to fool impressionable doctors.
Warning Signs of Drug Abuse
The signs of prescription drugs abuse can be too subtle to notice because people hide their behavior. If you discover your pills are missing from your cabinet, this is a big warning that someone may be stealing your drug prescription and may have a problem with addiction. Look for signs of slurred speech and incoherent sentences with anyone who you suspect.
Overall, drug prescriptions filled in the United States dramatically increased 72 percent between 1997 and 2007. The population grew 11 percent in that decade, according to research by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
