Abuse of prescription drugs, especially painkillers, has become a major health epidemic in the United States, with millions of overdose deaths occurring every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 183,000 people died due to the overdose of prescription painkillers from 1999 to 2015. In fact, a huge percentage of people in the U.S. collect painkillers from a friend or relative who had obtained it from a doctor.
Being highly addictive in nature, opioids can compel a person to become hooked to prescription drugs, particularly painkillers. The increased dependence on painkillers runs the risk of eventually turning into an addiction, which can destabilize a person’s life by spiraling both health and monetary issues out of control. Opioids have the potential to alter the brain’s chemicals and radically change thought patterns.
With an explosion in the number of prescriptions, opioid abuse touched sky high in a short span of time. Since clinics and pharmacies are nowadays delivering opioids illegally, they are commonly known as “pill mills.” However, greater access to opioids has led to an alarming escalation in the negative consequences, such as side effects, overdosing and deaths.
The U.S., one of the biggest consumers of opioids globally, has accounted for almost 100 percent of the world’s hydrocodone and 81 percent of oxycodone. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) highlighted that prescriptions for opioids, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, have surged from 76 million in 1991 to 207 million in 2013.
Overprescription and cheaper substitutes increase painkiller abuse
The expansion from pills-to-heroin is greatly responsible for the outbreak of heroin use in the U.S. Many doctors, who usually prescribe pain medications, do not understand the risk of these drugs. The consequences of opioid abuse not only jeopardize human lives but also the economy of a country by becoming a burdensome disease. The Journal of Medical Care sketched that the global economic crisis costs the U.S. over $78.5 billion a year.
Erin Marie Daly, a journalist and author of “Generation Rx: A Story of Dope, Death, and America’s Opiate Crisis,” interviewed dozens of users for the book and detailed that young users, who were introduced to heroin mostly by their pill dealers, suggested heroin as a cheaper and a powerful substitute to those pills. She further stated, “once they try heroin, there is no looking back, even if they want to stop.”
According to several studies, veterans are the largest group in opioid treatment programs. Opioid medications, which are used to treat mild to chronic pain, have a high potential for developing an addiction. And when it becomes difficult and expensive to access these pills, heroin becomes a cheaper and convenient alternative.
Proper policies implemented to fix the tide
In order to curb the increasing rate of addiction to opioids and heroin, and looking at the alarming epidemic rate, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has imposed strict restrictions on prescribing such medicines, such as strength of the medication, number of doses, frequency of prescription dispensed, etc. to obtain hydrocodone-related products, such as Vicodin.
Moreover, other effective replacements have also been launched to curb the painkiller epidemic. Physicians were also acquainted with the deadly effects of opioids and instructed to use other pain management protocols, such as behavioral counseling, to end the opioid addiction cycle.
Choose the road to sobriety
Various reasons have been attributed to the rise in the constant abuse of prescription drugs, ranging from easing one’s pain to experiencing euphoric state. However, abuse of prescription drugs for any reason can result in adverse effects, thereby affecting mental and physical health of a person.
If you or your loved one is addicted to prescription drugs, contact the Prescription Drug Abuse Helpline to get assistance in finding the best prescription drug abuse treatment in the U.S. Call us at our 24/7 helpline number 866-450-1557 or chat online with our representatives to know about the most reputable and comprehensive prescription drug abuse treatment centers in your area.