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Prescription drugs can help patients manage chronic or severe pain, restore emotional or behavioral balance, control sleep disorders, or fight obesity. But when prescription medications are abused, the consequences - including addiction - can be dangerous, even deadly. Here are some important facts you should know:
Fact 1
It is illegal to use prescription drugs without a valid prescription or to distribute them.
Fact 2
Emergency room visits associated with narcotic pain relievers have increased 163 percent since 1995.
Fact 3
40% of impaired or dead drivers of motor vehicles show prescription drugs in their systems – predominantly tranquilizers and sleeping pills.
Fact 4
The most commonly abused prescription drugs in the US fall into three broad categories:
- Opiods/Narcotics/Pain relievers (including OxyContin and Vicodin)
- Depressants (including Valium and Xanax)
- Stimulants (including Adderall and Ritalin) [more info]
Fact 5
2.7 million youth aged 12 to 17 abused prescription drugs at least once. (National Household Survey on Drug Abuse)
Fact 6
6.9 million individuals aged 18 to 25 abused prescription drugs at least once. (National Household Survey on Drug Abuse)
Fact 7
The risks associated with prescription drug abuse vary depending upon the drugs, and range from seizures to cardiovascular system failure to death.
Fact 8
Prescription drug addiction to benzodiazepines (sleeping pills, Valium, Ativan, Xanax) is far more debilitating than addiction to heroin or cocaine.
Fact 9
Young people usually obtain prescription drugs by stealing them from relatives or friends or from the school nurse’s/doctor’s office.
Fact 10
Effects of abusing cough syrup are: nausea, seizures, heart palpitations, blackouts, and even brain damage or death.
Fact 11
In some parts of the country, you can only get over-the-counter cold medications in limited quantities from a pharmacist because some of the ingredients they contain can be used by illegal drug labs to make dangerous street drugs like crystal meth.
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