Prescription Drug
Abuse
Prescription drug abuse, while not new, has gained favor
among many classes of people who deny having a problem since their medication
was "prescribed by a doctor." While prescription drug abuse may not
be new, the numbers are. According to the National Institute
of Drug Abuse (NIDA), upwards of 9 million people use prescription medication
for non-medical uses.
Nearly 1.3 million Americans 12 and older abuse prescription
drugs and require treatment for their problem, a new study concludes.
Older adults, women, individuals in poor health and those
who drink alcohol daily are most likely to develop a prescription drug habit,
according to Linda Simoni-Wastila, Ph.D., of the
University of Maryland, Baltimore, and colleagues. Their findings appear in the
American Journal of Public Health.
Prescription drug abuse is centered on three types of drugs:
opioids, central nervous system (CNS) depressants and
stimulants. Opioids are most often prescribed to
treat many varieties and causes of pain. CNS depressants are prescribed for
anxiety and sleep disorders. Stimulants are typically prescribed for
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obesity and narcolepsy sleep
disorder.
Prescription drug abuse of opioids
(narcotics) is a serious matter as radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh found
out. His prescription drug abuse was to a medication called OxyContin for pain
relief. Other brands of narcotics include: Morpheine,
Codeine, Darvon, Vicodin, Dilaudid and Demerol.
Symptoms of withdrawal from narcotics are legendary since
they can present the most dramatic of the withdrawal symptoms. Vomiting,
uncontrollable shaking, sweating, hot and cold flashes and diarrhea can occur.
Barbiturates (barb, barbies)
and benzodiazepines are the two most common CNS depressants used in medicine
found in prescription drug abuse cases. Barbiturates and benzodiazepines slow
brain functions and produce a calming or sleepy effect. For many years it has
been known that some addicts will use speed to get them up and then barbiturates
to take them back down. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines can display serious
symptoms. Though not usually life-threatening, it is best to check with a medical
professional before starting detox treatment.
Stimulants have the opposite effect of depressants in that
stimulants speed up the brain's activity. Withdrawal symptoms from stimulants
are usually not life-threatening but the effects of using the stimulants can
be. The life-threatening aspects of prescription drug abuse pertaining to
stimulants can be increased hostility and paranoia leading to accidents,
dangerously high body temperatures, irregular heartbeat, heart failure and lethal
seizures.
Prescription Drug
Abuse Statistics:
- Approximately
6 million persons 12 and older used psychotherapeutic drugs for
non-medical purposes in 2004, which represents 2.5 percent of the U.S.
population. Most of them reported abusing opiate pain relievers in
particular, with young adults (18-25) showing the greatest increases in
lifetime use between 2002 and 2004 (National Survey on Drug Use and Health
(NSDUH), conducted by HHS's Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration).
- In
2004, 2.4 million persons ages 12 or older initiated non-medical use of
prescription pain relievers during the past year, surpassing for the first
time in the life of the survey, those who initiated abuse of marijuana
(2.1 million) (National Survey on Drug Use and Health).
- Among
12th graders, in 2005, 9.5% reported past-year non-medical use of Vicodin,
and 5.5% reported past-year non-medical use of OxyContin. Data show an
increase in the abuse of OxyContin between 2002 and 2005 among 12th
graders (NIDA's 2005 Monitoring the Future
survey [MTF]).
- Past-year
non-medical use of stimulant medications is also high, with 8.6% of 12th
graders reporting abuse of amphetamine (a parent class of drugs that
includes methamphetamine), and 4.4% reporting abuse of methylphenidate
(Ritalin) (2005 MTF).
