Prescription Drug Abuse Research

The utilization of prescription drugs has increased across all age groups in the US, with 50% of Americans taking at least one prescription drug (Rice & Unruh, 2016). This can be attributed to physician-induced demand, substitution of pharmaceuticals for other medical regimens, commercialization of the products, increase in the aging population and drug insurance coverage, and also the increase in chronic conditions. Lathan discusses the startling fact that the rate increase of prescription drugs purchased was considerably higher in contrast to the US population growth - 71% and 9% respectively (Rice & Unruh, 2016, p. 264).

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

Not only can children be put in drug use situations but so can parents. When parents struggle to maintain a stable household or income and employment it may expand stress on the family and its powerlessness, pushing negligible people to discover answers or comfort in illegal drugs. In general, addiction and use of

The very same items a doctor prescribes to help people get well might be making them sick. Prescription drugs are being taken for reasons other than the ones they are being prescribed for, fueling an addiction that impacts as many as 48 million Americans ("Prescription Drug Abuse" WebMD). According to MedLinePlus, "an estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. This is prescription drug abuse." While a considerable amount of time, resources, and attention are focused on the problems associated with illicit drugs, prescription drug abuse is "an increasing problem," with very serious consequences for individuals, families, and communities (MayoClinic Staff). The United States Office of National Drug Control Policy claims, "Prescription drug abuse is the Nation's fastest-growing drug problem, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified prescription drug abuse as an epidemic." Because prescription drugs are viewed as safe due to their being part of the doctor's pharmacopeia, the same psychological, legal, ethical, and social barriers to abuse might not be present. However, prescription drug abuse creates a wide range of problems, including dangerous or lethal side effects, long-term addiction, and the dismantling of family and community

Most people are familiar with prescription medications; almost everyone has taken them at one point or another during their lifetime. Not all prescription drugs are addicting, but a large number of them are. Prescription drug abuse is a disease that has become a major problem in the United States, which affects over six-million Americans. Prescription drug abuse not only affects the individual, but can additionally have far-reaching consequences that affect family, personal health, employment, communities and society as a whole. Research has shown that at least 10% of people prescribed an addictive medication will become dependent on the medicine. Due to prescription drug abuse, states are beginning to monitor doctors who prescribe certain medications, more closely, which may scare some physicians away from prescribing helpful medications to people who truly need them.

The social impacts of prescription drug abuse span many different areas, including one’s health, family, and community. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2015), substance abuse can

Prescription drug abuse is not a new problem within our society. Prescription drug abuse has in fact been an ongoing problem that is currently spinning out of control. There are many people within our society that are currently dealing with prescription drug addiction. Prescription drug abuse is the intentional use of a medication without a prescription; in a way other than as prescribed; or for the experience or feeling it causes (The Science of Drug Abuse & Addiction, 2014). Prescription drugs are developed to assist with various medical problems, and when prescribed by a medical professional are helpful for patients. The using prescriptions for those other than intended for may cause a number of serious issues

Prescription drug use has been rising in the past decade steadily. There are no signs of it slowing down either. In 1999-2000 people who have taken one prescription drug rose from 43.5% to 48.3%. The use of two or more prescription drugs rose from 25.4% to 31.2%. Also the use of five or more prescription drugs has risen from 6.3% to 10.7%.

Drugs abuse is a social issue that affects a considerable portion of the population within the United States. Drug issues, in general, is broad and complex given there are many different kinds of drugs with abuse potential and the people who use drugs can come from different social backgrounds.

"Prescription drugs are the number-one drug problem that we face today," says David Rotenberg, executive director of the adolescent treatment center at the nonprofit Caron Foundation. "They are more widely prescribed, more widely available, and more widely abused by adolescents than they have ever been before."(DiConsiglio, 1) Abuse of prescription drugs is one of the fastest growing problems for young adults in the U.S. today. It is a concerning problem because of prescription drug’s widespread availability and little known negative side effects. Prescription drugs are being abused by many young adults and college students. This research

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (2016), the abuse of drugs and alcohol is a major public health concern. These are concerns that are impacting the society and communities at all levels, the user and non user of these illicit drugs, families and law makers equally .The use of drugs and alcohol releases a tremendous toll on our society at many levels and affects cost associated with crime, accidents, deaths, and healthcare spending . There is an enormous burden that affects two groups in the society, those who abuse drugs and alcohol and those who do not. “Americans perceive drug abuse as a major public health problem, many of America`s top medical conditions are directly linked to drug addiction. Researchers have found a strong connection between the abuse of tobacco, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), amphetamines, and steroids and the development of cardiovascular diseases ” National Institute of Drug Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH, 2014) found abuse of and addiction to substances costs Americans more than $700 billion a year in increased health care costs, crime, and lost productivity. Unfortunately, each year illicit and prescription drugs and alcohol contribute to the death of more than 90,000

If you have ever seen the movie The Wolf on Wall Street, there is no doubt you have seen the effects drugs can have. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a high-strung stock broker reliant on a multitude of illegal drugs to keep up with his hectic life style. His addiction gets so severe that at one point in the movie, he is lying on the floor, unable to move due to the drugs’ effects on his body. Even though the movie is set in the 90’s, a decade infamous for its use of drugs, today, drug usage and abuse has never been more of an issue. According to Alice Park (2016), “More people died of drug overdoses in 2014 in the U.S. than in any other year” (p.49). What people fail to realize is that drug abuse effects more than just the individual that uses them. The loved ones trying to support the user, the community the user is in, can all be affected by drug abuse. In fact, all members of society are affected by the abuse of drugs. In short, no one benefits from drug abuse. In the words of the Nation Institute of Drug Abuse, “Drug abuse is a major public health problem that impacts society on multiple levels. Directly or indirectly, every community is affected by drug abuse and addiction, as is every family. Drugs take a tremendous toll on our society at many levels” ( Magnitude, 2016).

Drug abuse has changed over the years due to the trends that Americans face from the encouragement of different cultures. The abuse of substances creates many health problems. The following will discuss the past and current trends of drug use and the effects these drugs have on the health of the individuals who abuse the drugs.

Drug abuse is a major public health issue that impacts society both directly and indirectly; every person, every community is somehow affected by drug abuse and addiction and this economic burden is not exclusive to those who use substance, it inevitably impacts those who don 't. Drugs impact our society in various ways including but not limited to lost earnings, health care expenditures, costs associated with crime, accidents, and deaths. The use of licit or illicit drugs long term, causes millions of deaths and costs billions for medical care and substance abuse rehabilitation and the effects of drug abuse extend beyond users, spilling over into the society at large, imposing increasing