Prescription Drug Abuse

According to the National Institutes of Health about 20% of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for reasons unrelated to a medical condition. The use of prescription drugs in this form is abusive. It is a very dangerous and growing problem in our nation today.

Some of the prescription drugs that you can become addicted to quite easily are narcotic painkillers, sedatives and tranquilizers and stimulants. It is not known why prescription drug abuse in on the rise but the availability of such drugs is on reason. Doctors are also prescribing more of these drugs than ever before and an increase in the usage of online pharmacies plays a role. These online pharmacies often do not require a prescription and will even fill prescriptions for youngsters.

In 2007 a survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that 15% of high school seniors had abused prescription drugs. The most popular of the drugs abused were codeine-based painkillers such as oxycodone (brand name OxyContin) and hydrocodone (brand name Vicodin).

Symptoms of prescription drug abuse are:

• Frequent misplacement or "losing" of prescriptions
• Going to more than one doctor for prescriptions
• Taking more than what is prescribed
• Theft, forging or selling of prescriptions
• Mood swings that seem excessive

Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem and in most cases it can be dangerous for the user to stop taking the medications altogether. It is important to consult a physician in regards to how to come off of drugs.