Prescription Drugs: The Dangers of Getting Hooked

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Recommended: Outline of prescription drug abuse

According to Phillips (2013) there are many deaths in United States each day for prescription drug overdose; “approximately 100 people die every day” (p.79). This is a crucial amount of people and significantly high compared to other drug overdoses. Prescription drug abuse has been extremely detrimental to the United States citizens and has not only affected the lives of the abusers but their friends and families too. The abuse continues to grow every year despite the efforts taken by many individuals, organizations, and state officials. Why does this growth continue to grow and what are the effects of prescription drug abuse?
There are a few ways in identifying if someone is abusing a drug, and there are many types of drugs that people abuse. There are three ways to define if someone is an abuser of prescription drugs: the drug is deliberately used without a prescription; the drug is used in a way the physician did not intend; and/or for the feelings and experiences that are created through the drug (Prescription Drug Abuse, 2011). There is a distinct difference between abusers and misusers, misusers may use the drug in an improper way but abusers use drugs in an improper way in order to get high. There are four categories of prescription drugs: pain relievers (opioids), depressants, stimulants, and sedatives (Prescription Drug Abuse, 2011). Out of these, pain relievers are by far used the most, and some common drugs that fall under this category are “codone, (e.g., Vicodin); oxycodone, (e.g., OxyContin, Percocet); Morphine, (e.g., Kadian, Avenza); and codeine” (Phillips, 2013, p. 79). Some depressants are Valium, Xanax, and Ambien. Two of the most common stimulants are Adderall and Ritalin.
It is all too easy to b...

... middle of paper ...

...ed. Drugs are a very controversial in the United States but the people who have been affected by them know the risks that come with use and abuse. Although, many efforts have been taken to stop the rise of prescription drugs, unfortunately they still grow every day.

Works Cited

Phillips, J. (2013, March) Prescription Drug Abuse: Problems, Policies, and Implications.
Nursing Outlook, 61(2), 78-84. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2012.06.009
Prescription Drug Abuse. (2011, December). National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www. drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/prescription-drug-abuse Winstanely, E. L., Gay, J., Roberts, L., Moseley, J., Hall, O., Beeghly, B. C., …Somoza, E.
(2012). Prescription Drug Abuse as a Public Health Problem in Ohio: A Case Report.
Public Health Nursing, 29(6), 553-562. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2012.01043.x

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