Essay on Prescription Drugs and Drug Abuse in the United...

With access to prescription drugs, people are able to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses. These drugs help deal with pain, inability to sleep, depression, and much more. Every day we are increasingly living in a world where there is better living through chemicals. However, what most do not seem to see is the rising tide of pain, illness, and ultimately death being caused by the pills people take every day. Most keep drugs in a special place in their minds, where they see them as harmless. Sadly, this is not the case, and in some cases our prescription drugs can be just as harmful as illegal drugs (King 68). In addition, these drugs are just as addicting as some of the drugs that most hold to be off-limits, and need to be†¦show more content†¦Opioid drugs are some of the most widespread pain medications that we have in this country; indeed, the fact is that opioid analgesic prescriptions have increased by over 300% from 1999 to 2010 (Mitch 989). Consequently, the number of deaths from overdose increased from 4000 to 16,600 a year in the same time frame (Mitch 989). This fact becomes even more frightening when you think about today; the annual number of fatal drug overdoses in the Unites States now surpasses that of motor vehicle deaths (Alexander 1865). Even worse, overdose deaths caused by opioids specifically exceed those attributed to both cocaine and heroin combined (Alexander 1865). While our major access to these drugs is doctors, we cannot simply lay blame on them, as there is not enough knowledge about these treatments to correctly appropriate drugs, and therefore extra is given (Hemphill 373). Alexander of the Department of Epidemiology of the Journal of the American Medical Association, states that â€Å"There are serious gaps in the knowledge base regarding opioid use for other chronic nonmalignant pain† (Alexander 1865-1866), which leads to the unfortunately large number of leftover drugs. In fact, the main place that people get their drugs are from leftover prescriptions (Hemphill 373). This leads to a bigger problem for our youth, where 81% of OTC drug abusers also end up using marijuana and hallucinogens (King 68). Over a million arrests are made every year forShow MoreRelatedPrescription Drug Abuse And The United States With Students2605 Words   |  11 Pages Running Head: Prescription Drug Abuse Prescription Drug Abuse in the United States with students Vikash Patel Wayne State University Prescription drug abuse among college students have increased over the past few years and is now a national problem. College students are abusing stimulant prescription pills just to stay awake to study and they will abuse the prescription pills just to stay awake to socialize with friends. According to the journal of Human Behavior in the Social EnvironmentRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse And Prescription Drugs1487 Words   |  6 PagesPrescription Drug Abuse Prescription Drug Abuse has increased in an alarming rate over recent years! Prescription drug related deaths now outnumber those from heroin and cocaine combined. The abuse in prescription drugs in America goes back more than a hundred years ago. Prescription drug abuse is the use of a medication without a prescription, in a way other than prescribed, or for the experience or feelings elicited. Although prescription medications are intended to help individuals, they canRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse And Prescription Drugs Essay1413 Words   |  6 PagesMost 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. 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Did You Know That Prescription1173 Words   |  5 PagesPrescription Drug Abuse Did you know that prescription drug abuse is one of the leading causes of death in the United States? â€Å"According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, two-hundred and ninety people in the United States are killed by prescription drugs every day. (White)† That number is growing every year due to the lack of knowledge of prescription drugs and the potential harm they can cause. Many people are under the misconception that prescription drugs are safe becauseRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse1298 Words   |  5 Pagessick. 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. 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