3. Prescription Drug Abuse Although many prescription drugs are used to reduce symptoms they can easily be abused. Addiction is not prejudiced it can affect anyone. We only hear about famous people that have suffered it’s wrath. Besides being great actors and actresses, did anybody notice anything else about the last slide?
5. Facts: The CDC reported that from 1999 to 2004, unintentional poisoning deaths from prescription drugs grew 84% to 20,950 deaths.(Akre14) Deaths from prescription drugs have overtaken cocaine and heroin combined.(Akre15) In the past year, abuse of prescription pain killers now ranks second, only behind marijuana, as the nations most prevalent illegal drug problem.(Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention1)
6. How Addiction Happens: Many prescription drugs create mental and physical dependence. As millions of people do every day, Deborah, a fifty year old stay at home mom was prescribed pain killers for her rheumatoid arthritis. After ten years she relied on her pills to make it through the day. “I wasn’t trying to abuse it,” Deborah said. She is now recovering from her addiction.
15. Works Cited Akre, Jane. “Prescription Drug Deaths Soar.” National News Desk. www.Injuryboard.com.February 7, 2008. April 17, 2010. Leinward, Donna. “U.S.’ New Drug Czar Targets Prescription Abuse As Priority.” www.USA Today.com. May 21, 2009, April 23, 2010. Szabo, Liz. “Prescription Now Biggest Cause of Fatal Drug Overdoses.” www.USA Today. October 2, 2009. April 23, 2010. “Prescription Drug Abuse.” Teens Health. www.kidsheakth.org. April 17, 2010. “Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention.” Office of National Drug Control Policy. www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov April 22, 2010
