In today’s society prescription drugs such as painkillers, stimulants, and anti-anxiety drugs are commonly abused. These drugs have a severe effect on the health of the individual abusing it. Prescription drug abuse is a serious health concern nationwide. While many people take their meds responsibly there are a high percentage of individuals dealing with prescription drug abuse.
For example, based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Data from 2011, the amount of people who died due to an overdose of a prescribed painkiller medication in that year was more than the amount of people who died due to an overdose of cocaine, heroin or any other type of drugs combined. This indicates that prescription drug abuse prevails over the use of other popular drugs.
In the entire United States, approximately 15,000 deaths and 500,000 visits to the emergency room occur every year due to opioid dependence. These drugs have caused the single largest amount of accidental deaths in the United States other than traffic accidents. In this drug category, some of the most popular addictive prescription drugs being abused are hydrocodone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone.
Due to the concerns that health experts have about the safety and addictiveness of these drugs, opioids used to be prescribed only for those patients that had cancer or were terminally ill. Today, most doctors see opioids as an essential medication for the management of chronic pain. They are really great to help patients that are in the recovering process of a surgery, who are subject of chronic pain, or suffer from terrible injuries.
Unfortunately, people get addicted to drugs and they are really expensive in the black market. Studies show that age is not really a factor here and opioid addicts make up a very large percentage. It is shocking to see that many of these addicts are veterans.
The subject of the use of prescription painkillers can become tricky when it comes to the legal and illegal possible uses of them. Drugs that are prescribed, for example, they will be in in the cabinet of the person, and many people give their prescribed drugs to other family members to help them feel better or cope with a specific illness. Once the person gets hooked on this prescribed drugs and the doctor or the family member will not give another prescription to them, they go and buy them in the street on the black market.
Prescription drug addiction has become a public health epidemic. The federal and state government is going after those providing and those abusing prescribed drugs. Since 2001, studies show that the abuse of prescribed drugs has gone down to the lowest rate ever since 2002, but still is a serious problem.
Drug abuse and addiction is a serious problem that needs immediate professional care otherwise it can get worst. If you have been hurt by a bad drug or suffered injuries because of it, contact a Prescription Drug Lawyer from Gallardo Law Firm at (305) 261-7000.
