According to a statewide report on drug-related deaths in Florida, tagged as the nation’s capital for “pill mills”, prescription drugs have overtaken cocaine and heroin as the deadliest drugs.
The study found that the painkiller oxycodone, with brand names such as Xanax and Valium, and the addiction-treatment drug methadone caused the most drug-related deaths in Florida during the first half of the year. These deaths are highly preventable if only medical practitioners are more careful in prescribing these drugs and are more vigilant in checking other practitioners who may be prescribing painkillers in large numbers.
Governor Charlie Crist has already signed the law that requires pharmacists and peddlers of addictive drugs in the state to submit sales reports to a database. This database aims to check possible drug dealers or abusers who go from one doctor to another, as if shopping for prescription drugs, or who get pills from multiple sources.
A survey by the Partnership for a Drug Free America also reveals that one in five teens admit of experimenting with legal medication. This disturbing trend in prescription drug abuse is also causing significant damage to our youth, who may be getting their drug fix within their very own homes.
The US Drug Enforcement Agency advises parents to talk to their children about the risks of abusing prescription drugs and inspect medicine cabinets at home to take regular inventories. Prescription drugs are meant to help patients deal with pain or discomfort, but in the wrong hands, they can be extremely dangerous.
Tags: dangers of prescription drugs, Prescription Drug Abuse, prescription drugs
