Addiction to Prescription Drugs

Addiction to prescription drugs is an increasingly common epidemic that is sweeping America. The problem affects millions of individuals and has become a major health issue. Every day, there are reports of deaths from accidental overdose of prescription drugs. The most famous case in the news during the past year would probably be the case of actor Heath Ledger, who according to news reports was found with multiple drugs in his system at time of death, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, Valium, Restoril (a strong sedative), Xanax, and doxylamine (a sedative found in NyQuil). However, this problem doesn’t only affect the famous – a recent study by researchers are the University of Michigan concluded that prescription drugs have become the drug of choice by many college students, with 20% admitting to using prescription painkillers at some point in their lives. Chances are, you know someone who has abused these medications. While health and legal professionals have mainly focused on illegal drugs such as cocaine and marijuana, they might be better off redirecting their efforts to concentrate on prescription drugs since this problem seems to be spiraling out of control.

Types of Commonly Abused Prescriptions

Many people may be confused about which drugs are being abused. The 3 classes of prescription drugs that are most commonly abused include:

• Opioids - prescribed to treat pain, this class includes codeine, oxycodone, oxycontin, Percocet, morphine, Lortab, and Vicodin
• Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants, often called tranquilizers or sedatives - used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders including barbiturates, Valium, Xanax, and clonazepam.
• CNS stimulants – these are often used to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obesity – drugs include dextroamphetamine, Ritalin, Phentermine and dexedrine.

The study done by UM is indicative of the problem. Researchers surveyed over 3,600 college students whose average age was just under 20 years old. After students were asked if they’d taken any of the types of prescription drugs, about 60% said they had used such drugs with a prescription for medical reasons, while 20% said they had taken the drugs for non-medical reasons. Another report also conducted by the University of Michigan research team showed that while the use of illicit drugs has decreased over the past decade, the use of prescription medications has done just the opposite. In the past year alone, 15% of 12th grade students admitted to having abused prescription drugs. Since this number jumps to 20% for college kids, a theory could be that college-aged kids typically have much more freedom than that of high-schoolers. When away from home for the first time, it of course is common for teenagers to experiment with new things and prescription drugs, sadly, are one of the things they think are worth experimenting with. Common justification is that since they are legal, they are safe. Research, however, shows just the opposite. In reality, the stimulants and opioids in prescription drugs are similar if not just as dangerous as those found in street substances. But the drugs being legal leads many to believe that combining prescriptions is okay, and some do it without thinking of the consequences. Hopefully a good result of Heath Ledger’s well-publicized death will be a better awareness of the dangers of prescription drugs. 

Prescription Drug Abuse a Continuing Problem

The increase in prescription drug abuse is a continuing problem in the U.S. especially among teens entering college. Hopefully with a growing better awareness of the dangers of prescription drugs, people will be able to realize the harmful effects that can come from using these drugs and they can seek out help. If you or a loved one is addicted to prescription drugs and seek help, contact The Right Step today.

20 Convenient Right Step Locations

The Right Step conveniently offers a variety of drug and alcohol treatment programs throughout the following Texas metropolitan areas:  Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Beaumont.