Prescription Drug Abuse

Why do people abuse prescription drugs?  Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem that concerns a lot of people in the United States.  In order to understand this issue, it is important to know what it is, what motivates people to do it, and what types of drugs are being abused.  An article published by the Huffington Post states that prescription drug abuse is the new killer of the block and that every 14 minutes a person dies from a drug overdose in the United States.

Prescription drug abuse is when people take prescribed drugs for non-medical reasons.  Taking prescription drugs when it has not been recommended by a doctor can be as dangerous and illegal as taking street drugs.  According to the Kids Health Organization, a 2009 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that prescription drug abuse is on the rise, with 20% of teens saying they have taken prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription. 

There are many reasons why people abuse prescription drugs such as misuse, availability, perceptions that they are safer than street drugs, and chronic pain and illnesses to name a few.  Michael Klein, a pharmacologist and director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Controlled Substance Staff explains that people misuse prescription drugs hoping to get a bigger or faster response from medications or to get high.  Some people also misuse prescription drugs unintentionally because they do not follow directions properly.  Availability is another reason why people abuse prescription drugs.  Family members or friends may have them and they are also sold on the street like other illegal drugs, according to Teens Health Organization.  Many people also believe that prescription drugs are safer that street drugs due to the fact that they are recommended by a physician.

Illnesses and pain are key factors when it comes to abusing prescribed drugs.  It is sad but true that there are people out there who are willing to do whatever it takes to ease their pain and illnesses and end up dying from drug poisoning.  A good example is the case of Michael Jackson.  Michael Jackson did all he could in order to be able to sleep and ended up dying from a propofol intoxication.  He was not only taking propofol but also other two anti-anxiety drugs.  Millions of people are in the same situation as was Michael Jackson. 

Some of the drugs that are likely to be abused are pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives.  According to Michael Klein, Vicodin and OxyContin are pain relievers that tend to be abused.  Tranquilizers such as Valium, Xanas, Ambien, and Lunesta have been used for non-medical reasons by millions of Americans.  Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin, and sedatives such as Amytal and Nembutal have also been abused by millions of Americans for non-medical reasons. 

In conclusion, I believe that prescription drugs should be more restricted because they are killing many people in the United States now more than ever and also because people are taking them for purposes other than medication.       

References:

Kids Health Organization

http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/prescription_drug_abuse.html

Michael Klein, Ph.D.

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm220112.htm

Prescription Drug Abuse: The New Killer on the Block

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lloyd-i-sederer-md/prescription-drug-abuse_b_1076166.html