Prescription Drug Abuse

Conrad Murray Found Guilty of Michael Jackson’s Death

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on November 8th, 2011

Dr. Conrad Murray, personal physician to the King of Pop Michael Jackson, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter which led to Jackson’s death.

Conrad MurrayOver the course of the trial, prosecutors presented witnesses and pieces of evidence that helped create the image of Dr. Murray as an incompetent and deceptive professional in his field, neglecting his ethical duties when he gave his patient a surgical anesthetic so powerful that Jackson never woke up.

After the jury, composed of seven men and five women, deliberated for nine hours over two days, the verdict was reached. Dr. Murray, who was charged with the lowest degree of homicide, could face a maximum sentence of four years in state prison. He also faces the possibility of having his license completely revoked.

Throughout the trial, witnesses strengthened the case against the doctor by testifying that Dr. Murray indeed administered propofol to Michael Jackson in unsuitable conditions, and keeping no records at all while failing at basic resuscitation which experts say are the factors that led to Jackson’s overdose death.

People were shocked as the truth on Jackson’s death was uncovered. When the pop star stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest under propofol, Conrad Murray still had time to chat on the phone as well as send and receive text messages. He also delayed calling paramedics when he found out that Jackson wasn’t breathing anymore, and then lied about it to other doctors.

The defense team tried to put the blame on Jackson’s death on himself. They told the jury that the singer was addicted to painkillers that gave him trouble sleeping and so he took sedatives and injected himself with propofol which led to his death.

Yet prosecutors contend that even if Jackson did his own death, he was still supposed to be under Dr. Murray’s supervision, which he failed to do when he left Jackson alone.

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Losing Two Family Members to Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on November 4th, 2011

In just four years, two family members of a Pilot Mountain man lost their lives due to prescription drug abuse.

prescription medicationFrankie Andrews lost two nephews, Matthew Absher and Brandon Moxley, to overdose of pain medication, specifically Oxycontin.

Andrews relates that the first victim, Matthew, got hooked on the pain medication after a football injury and from then on, he struggled with his addiction of Oxycontin until it claimed his life in 2006. His other nephew, Brandon, died just last year in yet another Oxycontin-related case.

Statistics from Drug Free NC show that deaths related to prescription drug abuse increased by 500% from 1999 to 2009. This means that in North Carolina alone, more people died of prescription drug abuse than cocaine and heroin overdose combined.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised doctors not to prescribe narcotics to patients until all other pain medications have been exhausted.

North Carolina has a higher average than the national figures when it comes to prescription drug abuse deaths. In 2008, the state had 12.9 deaths for every 100,000 when the national average was just 11.9 deaths for every 100,000 cases.

Today, Andrews is doing his part in spreading the real dangers of prescription drug abuse. He uses his story as he volunteers for the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse in educating parents, students, and physicians as well.

Andrews, who draws inspiration from what has happened in his family, is effectively teaching parents how to talk to their kids about the dangers of prescribed medications.

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Defense Says King of Pop Designed His Own Death

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Prescription Drug Abuse on October 27th, 2011

On Monday, the defense team for the Jackson case started their argument by saying that the King of Pop created scenarios that led to his own death, taking intravenous drugs to cure his insomnia despite stiff warnings from his doctors.

Cherilyn LeeThe defense team presented testimonies from a doctor and a nurse practitioner, and a number of witnesses all claiming that the singer demanded the drug that eventually killed him. They say Michael has been sick for the last 15 years, and that during the last few months of his life, he asked for intravenous medication to be administered to him, in his case, an anesthetic known as propofol.

Jackson’s friend and doctor Allan Metzger was called into the witness stand. He was with Michael for the last two years of his life, and told the court that he constantly reminded and warned the singer of the dangers of the anesthetic, and that he never administered the drug to him as sleeping aide.

Dr. Metzger further explained that in 2009, the pop star asked about intravenous sleep medications and mentioned a drug, which the star later on referred to as “juice.” He prescribed oral medication but Jackson did not believe any of them would work.

The nurse practitioner, Cherilyn Lee, admitted that she treated Jackson with vitamin infusions that made him feel better. To show his gratitude, Jackson invited her to London with him to join him in his concert tour. When his sleeping problems came back, Lee advised the pop star to undergo sleep study, and in mid-2009, before he was put under Murray’s care, Michael asked her to watch him sleep.

The singer was able to sleep, but after five hours he awoke and was upset.

“He said, ‘You see, I can’t stay asleep,’” she said.

The defense will continue their case to prove that Dr. Conrad Murray did not cause the singer’s death by giving him a lethal dose of propofol, despite allegations that he violated ethical guidelines of his profession in exchange for money.

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The Story of a Teen’s Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on October 26th, 2011

A teenager shares her story of OTC drug addiction, specifically with cough syrups, which she hid from her family for the longest time.

cough syrup abuseKristin, now 18, got her first taste of over-the-counter cough medications when she was about 15 or 16 years old. She admits that during those times, she had personal issues that needed to addressed.

Television became her source of information on the effects of cough medications. In the beginning, she took out a bottle from their medicine cabinet and drank all of its content. She felt so drunk after and then she began taking the drug on a regular basis for at least twice a week.

At a point when she was using the drug more often, she had to buy the item herself, and there were times when pharmacies refused to sell the medication to her due to her age. She was still able to get hold of the drug by having older people buy it for her.

Her high school friends did not know anything about her addiction. She found other students who were on the same situation she was in. She made friends with them and they were the ones who introduced other types of drugs and alcohol to her system. By this time, she leveled up to OxyContin and morphine pills.

Her studies suffered and things started to take a bad turn. From being a straight-A student, she was now hardly making it to the cut. Still, she kept everything from her parents.

Her family knew of her addiction when she finally got arrested. She stole something from her teacher and the teacher called the cops. She eventually told her parents she was hooked for years, and they were surprised that they did not know anything about it.

Today, Kristin is under the Lexington Center for Recovery for treatment. Kristin says, “It’s hard, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I wish that I had never started in the first place because when you do, once is never enough. It’s not worth it. You’re just going to end up dying or in jail.”

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Dr. Drew Pinsky Joins Cause for Teen Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on October 22nd, 2011

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is working together with Janssen Pharmaceuticals and famous reality TV addiction expert Dr. Drew Pinsky in fighting the increasing problem of teen prescription drug abuse.

Smart Moves, Smart Choices

The NASN and their partners will be launching a tool kit, the Schools Get Smart, Schools Take Action kit, that aims to educate students and parents about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. The tool kit is under the ‘Smart Moves, Smart Choices’ initiative of NASN and Janssen Pharma, and they have enlisted the aid of Dr. Drew to promote the kit in various schools nationwide.

Dr. Drew appears in the videos shown during school assembly that were provided by the people from the ‘Smart Move, Smart Choices’ organization. Some excerpts from the video show Dr. Drew talk about the challenges of prescription drug abuse.

“Teen prescription drug abuse is a problem of our time. Young people are putting themselves in danger — even dying — because they do not understand how dangerous these otherwise safe prescription medications can be when misused and abused,” Dr. Drew says.

The School Tool Kit is perfect for schools with its simple and flexible materials that help promote awareness on prescription drug abuse. Each kit contains the videos with Dr. Drew, some information materials for students and parents, lesson plans, colorful posters and stickers, and fliers. The kits are absolutely free-of-charge for all schools in the United States.

Linda Davis-Aldritt who leads the NASN says that their group is working hard to help keep kids healthy and safe in schools. “By holding school assemblies and incorporating lesson plans about this growing problem, schools can do their part to safeguard teens and ensure brighter futures.”

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Why Do Teens Take Drugs?

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Prescription Drug Abuse, Steroid Abuse on October 4th, 2011

In last year’s Drug Facts Chat Day organized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a lot of questions were focused on the young people, and one query from a Pennsylvania student states: why do people take drugs?

drugsAs expected, hundreds of answers were given, each varying from person to person, but all answers were given corresponding “reality checks” so as to correct the misguided minds of most teenagers.

One of the most common responses among the participants was that drugs made them feel good. Drug users and addicts usually take these substances for pleasure and the sensations of euphoria which differs depending on the type of drugs. Cocaine, for example, can bring about a certain “high” boosting self-confidence and energy, while opiates like heroin causes feelings of satisfaction and relaxation.

The drug effects may give temporary escape from whatever worries and problems people may have, but after the effects subside, the same problems stay and solutions are still at loss. Situations can become worse when a person becomes addicted and he fails to have his regular dose and unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal occur like headache, nausea, and even mental problems.

Kids also said that drugs help them perform better, in academics and in athletics. It is true that drugs enhance one’s abilities which could lead one to continue with the habit. Yet these drugs called “performance-enhancing drugs” outweigh their positive effects with their negatives. Steroids, as an example, promotes breast growth among men and gives females deeper voices and more unwanted body hairs. More serious consequences of such drugs include heart failure and seizures.

Teens also said, “Everybody’s doing it.” In their quest to fit in and be accepted in groups, teens easily succumb to peer pressure and get into risky behaviors. This is why it is very important for kids to have strong values foundation to help them think before they do something dangerous and help them realize the damages that drugs can bring into their lives.

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