Prescription Drug Abuse And Its Effects

To illustrate the magnitude of the research problem and provide a frame of reference, this section begins with a brief overview of the increased use of pharmaceuticals and prescription drug abuse in the US. The section continues with the relationship between illicit drugs and prescriptions, adolescents’ abuse, personal and social factors; then concludes with the theoretical approach. The Social-Ecological Theory, will be applied in researching prescription drug abuse, possible influences and protective factors in adolescents in relation to prescription drug abuse, to develop focused intervention strategies and educational programs for this population, similar to other substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.

Millions of people throughout the world are taking drugs on a daily basis. If you were to ask someone why they take prescription drugs, most people would be taking them for the right reason. However, it’s estimated that twenty percent of people in the United States alone have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.1 Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem that often goes unnoticed. Abusing these drugs can often lead to addiction and even death. You can develop an addiction to certain drugs that may include: narcotic painkillers, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.1 Prescription drugs are the most common abused category of drugs, right next to marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and

This week I chose to further explore the article Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction: Past, Present and Future: The Paradigm for an Epidemic written by P. B. Hall MD, DABAM, AAMRO, Denzil Hawkinberry II, MD, DABA, Pam Moyers-Scott, PAC, MPAS, DFAAPA as more and more individuals are abusing and becoming addicted to prescription medications. The article provides a great amount of statistical data for the US but is primarily focused on the population in West Virginia where Governor Joe Manchin III states, “Substance abuse affects a broader segment of West Virginia’s citizens and their state and local governments than any other single issue confronting us today” (Hall, Hawkinberry, II, & Moyers-Scott, 2010). West Virginia is far from the only state facing the prescription drug epidemic as it is becoming more and more prevalent across the US each year. “It is estimated that in 2009, the number of adolescents and adults with a substance abuse and/or dependence problem has reached 23.2 million in the US” (Hall, Hawkinberry, II, & Moyers-Scott, 2010). In the past, addiction has been thought of as the disease of the weak, but with advancement in brain imaging technology to accurately measure neurotransmitters addiction is now recognized as a disease. Prescription drug abuse and addiction has enormous socioeconomic costs in the areas of medical expenses, drug related crime, and unemployment. “Current estimates of the financial burden to society due to substance abuse exceeds half a

In the United States today, the Federal Government has many laws against the use, distribution, and production of illegal drugs. Drug abuse is growing immensely in the United States. Each year, billions of dollars in drugs are being bought and distributed throughout the United States which in turn causes a spike in overdoses and drug abuse. Statistics have shown that drug overdose deaths were the leading cause of deaths in the United States in 2013. Who does drug abuse mostly affect? Sadly, drug abuse has no set limit or boundaries on who it can affect.

Prescription drug abuse is the use of prescribed medications for reasons other than intended by a doctor or medical professional. Prescription drug abuse involves the misuse of any and all drugs to alter the physical or mental status of a person. The misuse of prescription drugs is described as taking excess amounts, more frequently, or for much longer than originally prescribed.

Prescription opioid pain relievers account for more deaths than both cocaine and heroin combined (Stewart). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the fatal overdoses caused by prescription drugs is around 26,000 a year in the United States (Szabo). Prescription drug abuse is becoming a greater threat each day. It has become an epidemic, especially in the United States. As of 2011, 75% of the world’s opioid prescription drugs were prescribed and consumed in a country that makes up less than five percent of the world’s population (Gupta). Why is that the case? The United States lacks strict regulation and monitoring of these drugs. Therefore, prescription drugs should be better regulated to prevent abuse

Drug abuse is the habitual taking of addictive or illegal drugs. Many college students rule out prescription drugs because they feel that they are neither addictive nor illegal. Prescription drugs are both. Not only are they addictive to the people that are required to take them, but also they are even more addictive for students who they are not prescribed to. When prescription drugs are obtained without consent from a doctor, it is considered illegal. Many college students try to take short cuts in life without realizing the extent of the consequences that their actions may hold.

There are three types of prescription drugs that are commonly abused including Opioids, Central Nervous System Depressants and Stimulants. An opioid is a medication used to treat pain, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and meperidine (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Opioids attach to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord preventing the brain from receiving messages which cause pain (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Unlike opioids, central nervous system depressants are used to treat anxiety, tension, panic attacks and sleep disorders (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Central nervous system depressants decrease brain activity by increasing the activity of a certain neurotransmitter which results in a calming effect (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Common examples of central nervous system depressants include pentobarbital sodium, diazepam, and alprazolam (“Prescription Drug Abuse,”n.d.) Stimulants, the third commonly abused type of prescription drugs are used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD by increasing brain activity (“Prescription

While addiction is a crippling disease that affects more than 20 million people, it is also a multi-billion dollar company. Prescription pill addiction affects more than 2 million people a year and has killed more than 200,000. The United States federal government benefit and profit from prescription pill addictions.

The main type of dangerous drugs you hear about are the illegal ones. However, if you abuse prescription drugs they can have major consequences as well. Most people use drugs prescribed by doctors or physicians without abusing them. The estimated amount of adults using prescription drugs as a recreational use is as high as 20%. Many of the people using prescription drugs do not understand how harmful the side effects of these drugs are. Most people abuse prescription drugs to get the better mood, adrenaline rush, or to ease mental or physical pain. Most of the abused prescription drugs are sedatives, tranquilizers, or painkillers. These are widely found and easy to obtain. Many of the addicts are either prescribed by a doctor or stolen from a friend or relative. Most of the addicts are oblivious

An example would be when people mix alcohol and Valium. This combination could stop breathing altogether.

After watching the video, I was shocked on how commonly those drugs are used with high school and college students, even if the prescription isn’t prescribed to them.

Prescription abuse is when an individual uses medication for unintended purposes or in unintended manners or doses.

Drug abuse has been a big, painful epidemic in country. A reporter for Healthday,Alan Mozes wrote , “20 percent of teens who admit they have abused prescription drugs said their first experience doing so was before the age 14, with 27 percent mistakenly believing that prescription drug abuse is safer than “street drugs” such as cocaine or ecstasy”(Mozes3). Even though prescription drugs are a very dangerous demon , what most of us call “street drugs” are just as bad , maybe even worse . Trying a new drug to be “cool” or to fit in could lead to serious consequences including death or incarceration. Helpguide.org writes in an article , “Addiciton is a complex disorder characterized by compulsive drug use. While each drug produces different

There are multiple drugs that are classified as narcotics. Narcotics are defined by Merriam-Webster’s medical dictionary as, “a drug that in moderate does dulls the senses, relieves pain, and induces profound sleep but in excessive doses causes stupor, coma, or convulsions.” This is an issue when these narcotics are being abused or taken out of context. There are prescription narcotics, but there are also the street drugs that are being illegally produced and sold. Prescription pain medications are not a bad thing when they are prescribed and used correctly. Some examples of prescription narcotics are codeine, fentanyl and hydrocodone. While there are beneficial elements to these medications, there are also side effects. Medline Plus explains a few side effects as drowsiness, impaired judgement and a strong desire, or craving, for these medications. This is how the addictions begin to occur.