The United States is in the middle of a prescription drug epidemic that stems mostly from opiate pain killers. But who exactly are the people abusing these drugs? Is there a pattern of abuse?
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We all love a dysfunctional family. In the world of prescription drugs, no family is more dysfunctional than the “Codones.” While these drugs are highly effective for alleviating severe or chronic pain, they also pose a significant threat of addiction for those who misuse this class of drugs.
Dr. David Stidham was a young, handsome graduate of Harvard Medical School when he moved his family to Tucson, Arizona, to become a partner in an eye surgery clinic for children. His patients and their parents adored him, and he was so successful that he planned to open a solo practice. On October 4, 2004, Dr. Stidham’s body was found in his office parking lot. He had been stabbed 16 times in what police believed was a random act of violence.
The use of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes has become a serious public health issue, with prescription drug abuse ranking second among illicitly used drugs. In many cases, the abuse stems from a chronic pain complaint, in which a patient is prescribed an opioid, but without adequate warning about its addictive effects.
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A new study shows that one in five Wisconsin teenagers have abused prescription pain killers. This is the first time the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has asked about teenage prescription drug abuse in its annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
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Steven Tyler, lead singer of the band Aerosmith, has entered a treatment center for pain management and an addiction to prescription painkillers resulting from 10 years of performance injuries, according to People magazine.
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How long has it been since you’ve done a complete inventory of all the prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs you have in your home? Do you even know what you have? Some of those old containers of pills, solutions, drops and creams may be long past their expiration date. Chances are, however, you’ve got bigger problems lurking in your medicine cabinet. Without knowing it, you may be endangering yourself or others in your family. It’s time to be smart about prescription addiction. In this case, what you don’t know may very well kill you.
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Actor Burt Reynolds, 73, has checked himself into a rehab facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, to be treated for an addiction to painkillers.
The actor’s manager, Erik Kritzer, said in a statement that Reynolds was struggling after a recent back surgery and “realized that he was in the prison of prescription pain pills.” Kritzer said Reynolds hopes his story will help others in similar situations and that they will not try to solve the problem by themselves.
In 2005, prescription drug abuse killed more than 8,500 Americans, and it is estimated that more than 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs every year. In fact, the DEA reports that opioid painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin now cause more overdose deaths than cocaine and heroin combined.
While the problem exists in every state, Kentucky led the nation in the abuse of prescription drugs last year, according to the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy. Prescription drug abuse is particularly rampant in Eastern Kentucky. Last year alone, at least 485 people in Kentucky died from prescription drug overdoses. Medical examiners’ records indicate that the drugs most commonly found in those deaths were methadone, oxycodone (found in OxyContin), hydrocodone (found in Vicodin), alprazolam (the anti-anxiety drug Xanax), morphine, diazepam (Valium), and fentanyl.
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By Leslie Thompson
“Demerol, Demerol. Oh, God, he’s taking Demerol” are very poignant lyrics from Michael Jackson’s 1997 song “Morphine.” With Jackson’s shocking death on June 25, 2009, many questions have arisen, the most popular one being whether he died from a drug overdose. Jackson had a long and tumultuous affair with prescription drugs during the course of his life, and as more information surrounding his death surfaces, it is appearing more likely that drugs did in fact end his life. But what exactly is Demerol aside from Jackson’s drug of choice?