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A fatal trendSince 2004, poisoning has overtaken firearms as a leading cause ofinjury/death in the United States. Close to 70 percent of all poisoningdeaths are due to unintentional drug overdoses.“Prescriptiondrug abuse kills 40Americans every day.That’s more than a threefoldincrease in the last decade,according to the U.S. Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.“Oxycodone is the deadliestdrug of all. An opiate found insuch painkillers as OxyContinand Percocet, it’s prescribed aftersurgeries and car wrecks, and topeople in chronic pain.“Others take it just for the high.The drug works by blocking thespinal cord’s pain receptors. Itdoesn’t make the pain go away,but prevents people from feelingit, creating a sense of euphoria.Soon, they need to take moreto get the same pleasurableescape.“Oxy makes junkies outof people who would neverbuy from a street dealer. It iseveryman’s high, heroin in a pill.“Of all the oxycodoneprescribed in America in the firsthalf of last year, 98 percent wasdispensed in Florida. Accordingto the state medical examiner’soffice, an average of sevenFloridians die from prescriptiondrug overdoses every day —more than from car accidents.”Source: Tampa Bay Times, Lane DeGregory,Times staff writer, December 2011Abuse of prescription drugs to get highhas become increasingly prevalent amongteens and young adults. Abuse of prescriptionpainkillers now ranks second – behind onlymarijuana – as the nation’s most prevalentillegal drug problem.Adults consume 25-40 percent of the nation’sprescription drugs, and medication-relatedproblems may be the third- or fourth-leadingcause of death among older adults.Sources: National Center for Health Statistics andSubstance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration, Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention“I have been in recovery for 17 years. Witheach year, I continuously grow thanks tomy family and friends and professionals inour field. The contributions of Nancy Hamilton,President and CEO of Operation PARand Dr. Stephanie Covington, are infinite,particularly for women in recovery. I havealways believed that recovery is aboutworking hard to be the person you aremeant to be. As Dr. Covington describes,it’s about having integrity. Your actionsbecome consistent with your character,your values, your core ethics.”~ Jackie Griffin,vice president of development,Operation Par, Inc.Think about itPrescription painkillers and antianxietydrugs now kill about 500people per year in the Tampa Bayarea – triple the number killed byillegal drugs such as cocaine andheroin.Source: Tampa Bay Times 200812 tampabay.com/nie
Parents bewareTeens are turning away from streetdrugs and using prescription drugs toget high. Next to marijuana, the mostcommon illegal drugs teens are using toget high are prescription medications.Teens are abusing prescription drugsbecause they believe the myth thatthese drugs provide a medically safehigh.The majority of teens get prescriptiondrugs easily and for free, often fromfriends or relatives. Girls are morelikely than boys to intentionally abuseprescription drugs to get high.Pain relievers such as OxyContinand Vicodin are the most commonlyabused prescription drugs by teens.Adolescents are more likely thanyoung adults to become dependent onprescription medication.Source: Office of National Drug Control PolicyPrescription drug dangersWhen taken properly and undera medical provider’s supervision,prescription drugs can have manybenefits. Prescription drugs, as well asover-the-counter (OTC) drugs, can bedangerous, especially when abused.There are serious health risksassociated with the abuse ofprescription drugs. A single large doseof prescription or OTC painkillers ordepressants can result in breathingproblems that will lead to death.Stimulant abuse can lead to violentor paranoid behavior or even fatalseizures.In small doses, depressants andpainkillers can affect a person’s motorskills, judgment or the ability to learn.The abuse of OTC cough and coldremedies can cause blurred vision,nausea, vomiting, dizziness, coma anddeath.Young people report many reasonsfor abusing prescription and OTC drugs.Sometimes teens and college-agestudents use prescription and over-thecounterdrugs to get high. This might beto party, to escape reality, to experimentor to relieve boredom.However, some people say theyabuse these drugs to help them cope, todeal with pressures or to self-medicateto relieve pain or sleep better.Source: Parents. The Anti-Drug.Children and caregiversbewarePrescription drug abuse is mostcommon in young people (ages 12-17),women and older adults. While people65 years of age and above compriseonly 13 percent of the population, theyaccount for approximately one-third ofall medications prescribed in the UnitedStates. Older patients are more likely tobe prescribed long-term and multipleprescriptions, which could lead tounintentional abuse.The elderly also are at risk forprescription drug abuse, in whichthey intentionally take medicationsthat are not medically necessary. Inaddition to prescription medications, alarge percentage of older adults alsouse over-the-counter medicines anddietary supplements.Because of the elderly’s high ratesof having multiple illnesses, changesin drug metabolism with age andthe potential for drug interactions,prescription and over-the-counter drugabuse and misuse can have dangeroushealth consequences. Health careproviders, primary care physiciansand pharmacists, as well as patientsthemselves and their caregivers, all canplay a role in identifying and preventingprescription drug abuse.learning with the times student activityAnalyzing advertisementsA drug is any non-food substance thatwhen put into the body changes theway the body or mind works. Physiciansmay prescribe legal drugs. Over-thecounterdrugs may be purchased at drugstores or other retail stores. Newspapers,the Internet and television frequentlycontain advertising for drugs. Monitor theJust the Facts• In 2009, there were 7 millionAmericans aged 12 yearsand older who abusedprescription drugs for nonmedicalpurposes withinthe past month, up from 6.2million in 2008.• In 2009, on average, 6,027persons per day abusedprescription pain relieversfor the first time.• Every day, on average, 2,500teens use prescription drugsto get high for the first time.• Sixty percent of teens whoabused prescription painrelievers did so before theage of 15.• According to the Centersfor Disease Control,prescription drugs,including opioids andantidepressants, areresponsible for moreoverdose deaths than“street drugs” such ascocaine, heroin andamphetamines.Source: Drug Enforcement AdministrationTampa Bay Times, tbt* and your favoritetelevision station for a week. In yourjournal, write down each time you see anadvertisement for a prescription or overthe-counterdrug. As a consumer, do youthink you are being bombarded with theseimages? What is the message that is beingconveyed in these advertisements?tampabay.com/nie 1213tampabay.com/nie 13
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