Posts Tagged prescription drugs

Prescription Drug Abuse: Real and Alarming Threat

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on March 29th, 2011

Approximately 16 million Americans, aged 12 years old and above, have taken prescription drugs in 2009 ranging from pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives, or stimulants which were all for non-medical purposes. This is the alarming truth that was released by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance abuse and Mental Health Administration) which shows that prescription medications can indeed be abused or has the potential to be abused.

prescription drugsWhy these prescription drugs are abused is often a result of misuse or non-compliance of instructions in the use of specific medications. The most vulnerable people, according to the report, are the elderly and teens. The elderly group registers the lowest rate of compliance on instructions given for their prescribed medications while teens can easily become hooked on painkillers like hydrocodone and oxycodone.

When these drugs are misused or abused, it could start an addiction. Being addicted to prescription drugs is no different to the addiction on illegal drugs. Both are dangerous and could be fatal for users, and could lead to withdrawal symptoms if nothing is done to correct it. The same medications or behavioral and psychological therapies apply to addicts who want to be free from their cravings or habits.

People should be careful then in handling prescribed medications. Changing of dosages or sharing of medicines with others promotes prescription drug abuse and addiction. It is recommended to see a doctor when symptoms persist despite being prescribed with medicines and to never offer these drugs to other people.

There are many types of prescription drugs that can be or are being abused, including painkillers, stimulants, depressants, barbiturates, and dextromethorphan.

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Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force Formed in Ohio

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Prescription Drug Abuse on February 25th, 2011

Ohio Governor John Kasich has implemented the formation of a new task force to handle prescription drug abuse as advised by a former attorney general, according to a feature in nbci4.com. The state also provided extra funding for a treatment center and an executive order allowing the state’s local treatment partners to use new medication in dealing with heavy opiate addiction.

prescription drug abuseIn Ohio, drug overdoses accounted for most of the fatal car crashes since 2007. Latest figures also show that about 1,300 people have died due to accidental drug overdoses in 2009 alone.

The governor said that everything that has been newly implemented in his state are all for the continuing battle of prescription drug abuse which is concentrated in the troubled Scioto County after he had meetings with officials and treatment advisors. He said that last year, his office gave out a massive 9.7 million doses of prescription pain killers – the equivalent of 123 doses for each resident, all in Scioto County.

In his interview with the Portsmouth Daily Times, Kasich said that the people in Scioto County “are ready, willing, and able to launch this battle to win this war on prescription drugs. We believe if we can win it in Scioto County, then we can spread it throughout all of Ohio,” he said. “If we can make gains in Ohio, this will allow us to be engaged nationally. Failure is not an option in Scioto County.”

The state of Ohio will be releasing $100,000 for the development of a new halfway house and outpatient treatment facility at the non-profit Counseling Center in Portsmouth. Officials are still seeking to add $300,000 in federal funds for the same project.

An emergency executive order was also signed by the governor allowing treatment options to be expanded by treatment providers using the medications approved by the FDA to help treat people with opiates addiction.

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Reasons Why Prescription Drug Abuse Is On The Rise

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on December 28th, 2010

Prescription drug abuse is dubbed by a feature on the Chicago Sun-Times as the “fastest-growing drug problem” in the United States. Deaths due to accidental drug overdose have increased five-fold over the last twenty years, according to the CDC. It also overtook heroin and cocaine combined as the cause of overdose deaths in the United States in 2007.

This meteoric rise of prescription drug abuse is due to several reasons. The fact that these drugs – usually painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Fentanyl – are basically legal substances that are prescribed by doctors for legitimate reasons, people think that it is safer, regardless of whether it is used properly or abused.

prescription drugsSally Thoren, executive director of Gateway Foundation, an organization that provides substance abuse treatment, said: “People think, ‘It comes from the doctor. Mom took it for a toothache or a broken bone. How bad can it be?’”

Another reason for the surge is the fact that there was also an increase in doctor prescriptions for painkillers, a trend that began in the 1990s. According to Kathleen Kane-Willis, director of Roosevelt University’s Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, the greater availability of prescription painkillers became the catalyst for more widespread abuse: “In the 80s and early 90s, there was so little pain medicine prescribed… Now, the pendulum has kind of swung the other way.”

She suggested that while there is no need to deny pain medication to people who need them, it is important for doctors to have frank conversations with their patients regarding the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

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San Diego County Sheriff’s Department versus Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on September 6th, 2010

Prescription drug abuse has become a persistent problem across the country, which is why towns, cities and counties are embarking on efforts to curb it. One of the ways through which this is done is by organizing prescription drug take-back events.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is no exception.

prescription drugsRecognizing the fact that teenagers point to medicine cabinets at home as a source of prescription drugs, the Department organizes Prescription Drug Take Back Days – although the next event has not yet been scheduled. The Department is currently working on installing secure drop-boxes at their facilities, where unwanted prescription drugs can be dropped off. Until those sites are ready, however, residents can be dropped off during business hours at the Sheriff’s headquarters office at 9621 Ridgehaven Ct., in San Diego.

The Sheriff’s Department shares further that it has identified OxyContin as the drug of choice for teens and young adults aged 14 to 30. These young people get their OxyContin from street level dealers in the country as well as in Mexico, or over the Internet. Some neighborhoods have been identified as abuse “hotspots”: Torrey Pines, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Tierrasanta.

The San Diego County Sheriff website also contains information that may be useful to parents, such as the common slang terms that are used by teens to refer to certain prescription drugs of abuse, as well as warning signs for abuse that parents should watch out for. Among these signs are drop in academic performance, a seeming loss of motivation, fatigue, and having problems with money.

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Prescription for Disaster: Parents’ Guide to Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on July 29th, 2010

Drug abuse has, over the years, taken various forms, and has involved various substances. One of the substances that have gained popularity among teenagers in recent years is prescription drugs, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration continues its efforts to combat it.

prescription for disasterA feature on Star Tribune shared one of the tools that the DEA hopes to use against prescription drug abuse among teenagers. A guide entitled “Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Abuse Medicine,” provided by the DEA and downloadable online, provides a better understanding of prescription drug abuse among teenagers, including information that can help identify the prescription and over-the-counter drugs that are being abused by teens. Parents who would like to learn more about prescription drug abuse can certainly benefit from the document.

One of the things mentioned in the introductory pages of the document is that prescription and over-the-counter drugs have even edged out marijuana as the “gateway drug” among teens.

Also discussed is the role that the Internet plays in prescription drug abuse. Apart from the existence of certain prescription drugs in their own homes, some teenagers have turned to the Internet to acquire prescription drugs, or to get information about abusing prescription drugs. This includes information such as how much of a drug to use, the combinations of drugs that “work best,” as well as the sensations that the abuser can expect to feel.

The guide also warns against illegal pharmacies that operate on the Internet, where teenagers can get prescription drugs; it also provides suggestions regarding what parents can do.

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Prescription Drug Mixing: Dangerous, Deadly

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on May 3rd, 2010

In parties, we love mixing drinks to come up with unique tasting alcoholic cocktails. Bloody Mary mixes vodka, tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce and lemon juice. Margarita blends in tequila, Cointreau and lime juice. The very popular Martini takes in gin and vermouth to give a smooth mixture.

prescription drugsCreating mixes, though, should not be extended to the intake of prescription drugs. You may have noticed that your doctor asks you about other medications you may be currently taking before he prescribes you a certain medicine. Mixing prescription drugs, unlike mixing alcohol, is very dangerous and can be fatal.

When taken separately, the drugs work to your advantage, relieving you of any pain or symptom that you may be suffering from. When taken together or within a short period of time, the drugs may intensify or counteract the action of the other, or the combination may bring a different set of effects. Thousands of deaths related to the accidental overdose or mixing of prescription drugs are reported every year, and many are still at risk.

To avoid prescription drug mixing, create your own medication list that covers all drugs you take in, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, herbal medicines, vitamins, and dietary supplements. Always inform your doctor about the medications you are having so he can prescribe the right medicine. Update the list regularly and make sure you separate the old drugs from the new ones. Do not take old medications when you feel old symptoms coming back without telling your doctor first.

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