Facts About Prescription Drug Abuse
Drugs are prescribed to patients every day to help control a variety of health conditions, from diabetes to chronic pain. These drugs have all been tested, approved and regulated to ensure their safety when used to combat specific health-related issues. But when they are taken in a manner inconsistent with their intended use, they can be dangerous---and even addictive.
Prescription drug abuse tends to occur within certain groups of medicines, including narcotic pain medications, central nervous system depressants, and stimulants, though abuse is not limited to these classes of drugs.
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Statistics
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Teens are abusing prescription drugs more than any recreational drug other than marijuana, including cocaine, heroin and crystal meth combined. The common perception is that prescription drugs are somehow safer than illegal varieties, and with their easy availability, teens are having no trouble experiencing the highs they deliver.
Narcotic Pain Medications
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Narcotic pain medications are among the most abused drugs because they typically cause euphoria as a side effect. They are commonly prescribed to control acute or chronic pain conditions and include such medications as OxyContin, Vicodin and Demerol. Those who take the drugs report feeling indifferent to problems and stress, which is what makes them so appealing. However, as with any drug, people who use them on a regular basis will eventually build up a tolerance and have to take more to get the same effect--- and eventually become dependent on them. Often, addiction to pain medications leads to the use of other recreational drugs.
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Central Nervous System Depressants
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Central nervous system depressants are drugs used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders in people and include Mebaral, Nembutal, Valium and Xanax. Though the ways these drugs work on the body differs from narcotic pain relievers, many of the side effects, including drowsiness and disconnectedness, are the same. As with narcotic pain medications, users generally become addicted after prolonged therapy with the drug. Tolerance is built over time, which leads to a need to take greater dosages to receive the same benefits. Overdose fatalities and recreational drug use are just as common with these drugs as with pain medications.
Stimulants
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Stimulants excite the brain instead of depressing or relaxing it, causing increased alertness and energy. They are ordinarily prescribed to people who suffer from sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy and ADHD. Stimulants can cause malnutrition by depressing the appetite, as well as high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack. Individuals taking stimulants can become addicted to the sense of well-being and energy they feel, though larger doses can lead to paranoia and hostility.
Accidental Deaths
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An unfortunate side effect of prescription drug use is the number of unintentional deaths it causes, which increased by 55 percent from 1999 to 2004, while unintentional deaths resulting from the abuse of antidepressants rose 84 percent in the same time period. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of people entering drug addiction programs increased by 300 percent.
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