A new study found that the percentage of people that died after ingesting prescription medications, alcohol and street drugs increased by more than 3000% during the past 2 decades. One theory is that hospital stays are shorter now and patients take too much to control the pain. Clinical oversight is also to blame. There is a greater number of outpatient procedures performed with more drugs being prescribed and fewer follow ups. Painkillers and antidepressants can be found on the streets, which increases the opportunity for mistakes and misuse. These findings are a clear indicator of the harmful effects of using and mixing drugs. In fact, the study found that since 1983, over 50 million people have died as a result.
