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Rise of Prescription Drug Abuse
While the abuse of prescription drugs is nothing new, the recent epidemic of prescription drug abuse in this country, especially among young people, is beginning to turn more than a few heads. Over the last 10 years alone, prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed in this country, making prescription drug abuse the 2nd most common type of drug problem in America, only behind marijuana. What is the reason behind this prescription drug epidemic and is there anything that can be done to stop it?
While there is no definitive reason for the rise of prescription drug abuse in this country, there are a number potential factors. First of all, experts estimate that one of the major reasons why there is such a sharp increase in prescription drug addiction is because of the widespread availability of these powerful prescription narcotics all over the country. Because more people are currently on prescription medications than ever before, it just makes it that much easier for these potentially dangerous prescription drugs to fall into the wrong hands. For many young people under the age of 18, it is often easier for them to obtain OxyContin, Vicodin, or Adderall than it is for them to find cigarettes or alcohol.
Secondly, the advent of the internet has made it that much easier to forge prescriptions or just order powerful prescription narcotics from another country without any valid prescription needed. This way, somebody in California could order 90 OxyContin pills from India turn around and sell them for 4 times as much and make a solid profit. Or someone addicted to these powerful drugs can keep getting them shipped right to their home without any kind of valid doctor consent at all.
Most Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs
It is estimated that nearly 20 percent of people in the United States have used, or are using, prescription drugs for reasons other than prescribed. However, what may be most alarming is that the most commonly abused prescription drug today, which is opiates, is also one of the most dangerous prescription drugs a person can abuse. Opiate based prescription drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet, Codeine, Fentanyl and Morphine, can all cause respiratory depression, cardiac arrest, nausea, confusion, sedation, and coma if not taken properly.
Other commonly abused prescription drugs, especially among young people, come from the Benzodiazepines family which includes Xanax, Valium and Lorazepam. Other commonly abused prescription drugs include Adderall, Ambien, and Lunesta.
Prescription Drug Detox
After a long period of prescription drug abuse an individual will likely start to suffer from some type of withdrawal symptoms if they have not recently taken the drug. These withdrawal symptoms can be anywhere from moderate to life-threatening depending on the drug and the severity of the addiction. If you are currently addicted to prescription drugs the best way to break this vicious cycle is to admit yourself into some type of prescription drug detox program where you can receive the expert help you need to break this addiction once and for all.
Prescription drug detox centers specialize in helping people with prescription drug addictions and can use medical therapy to help assist and speed up your detoxification process in the safest and most painless way possible. For more information, please contact us at (866) 531-4569 and we’ll help you find the nearest prescription drug detox facility.
