Prescription drug use starts in hospitals
According to an article from Canada.com, prescription drug abuse often starts in hospitals. This type of drug use usually begins after a person undergoes some type of surgery or other trauma and then needs to take pain medication. Often times this will lead to drug abuse that cannot be overcome without drug addiction treatment.
The article states:
“The most commonly abused prescription drugs are opioids (pain-relievers) and benzodiazepines, used to treat such things as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia and stress, because they affect the mind, behavior or mood.”
And the problem has gained more newsworthiness because celebrities are dying due to prescription drug abuse. This includes the deaths of Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger and most recently Michael Jackson.
It is the dangerous mixing of prescription drugs that can lead to an eventual overdose. Making the pain go away in a hospital bed can often lead to a problem that requires help.
The article also states another interesting statistic:
“Since 2005, the rate of new prescription-drug addicts has outpaced the number of people getting hooked on marijuana, the most commonly used illegal drug in North America.”
People usually think of drug abuse only involving illicit street drugs, but nearly every American is susceptible to this kind of drug abuse. All it takes is one little problem and it could turn big.
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August 6th, 2009 at 7:55 am
You are absolutely right, all it takes is for a person to deal with one problem the wrong; through using prescription medications, and that person could be led down the long hard road of addiction. I believe that doctors should be more cautious when prescribing these medications and the list of ailments they are prescribed for should be more closely examined.