...| The Addiction of America | The Abuse of Prescription Drugs in the United States | Sean Barnes | Western Governors University | 12/19/2014 | The abuse of prescription drugs in the United States has reached epidemic proportions and continues to get worse. Most people, however, do not realize how big the problem really is. It continues to get worse every year and it demands our attention. In 2011, just three short years ago, an estimated 52 million people in the United States over the age of 12 had used prescription drugs for a non-medical reason (National survey on drug use, 2011). The most commonly abused prescription drugs are pain relievers. Why are people abusing these drugs and where do they get them? This paper will attempt to answer those questions as well as pose a possible solution on how it can be corrected. Analyzing the Problem To begin, we must first take a look at why so many American citizens are abusing prescription drugs. Most will probably tell us that they became addicted to pain relievers after some sort of horrible accident or surgery. They were prescribed these medications by their Primary Care Provider and told to take them in the correct manner, which are usually one or two tablets/pills every four to six hours apart, as needed for pain. What they were probably not told by their Primary Care Provider is that they should not take them sooner than directed, nor should they take them whenever they are not experiencing pain. The directions on...
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...Prescription medication abuse James Glassman COM/172 December 22, 2011 University of Phoenix Sheila Bassoppo-Moyo, Ed.D. Prescription medication abuse In this research paper you will find that obtaining prescription medication is easier than going to find illegal drugs. Another, disturbing problem is the amount of deaths in the United States each year caused by the abuse of prescription medication. Some questions you might find yourself asking are why is this a problem, how can we resolve this problem, what are some long term effects from abuse of prescription medication, and what is the government planning to do to help resolve this issue? In recent years the abuse with prescription medications has come to a ridiculous number in the last decade across the world. I hope this paper helps you understand the significance of this worldwide problem. What is prescription medication abuse? Prescription medication abuse is when someone takes medication prescribed by doctor in a manner or dosage other than prescribed, or when someone takes prescription medication from somebody else and uses it in a manner or dosage other than prescribed (na, 2011). Abuse can include taking a friends or relatives’ prescription to get high, to relieve pain, or help with medical issue without seeing a physician. There is a reason why prescription medications are prescribed by a doctor, prescription medications are dangerous when taken with other medications or not taken properly. In many cases...
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... Rough Draft Turner Comp 2 Is Prescription Drug Abuse an Epidemic? Many people especially the younger generation, ages starting at twelve years old have turned to the abuse of prescription drugs. The most commonly misused prescription drugs are painkillers (opioids), antidepressants, and anxiety medication. People claim addiction is a choice, but according to science addiction is considered a brain disease due to the fact that it alters the brain permanently by changing the structure of the brain itself and how it works. Some say the huge sting made over prescription drug abuse is all over exaggerated and they blame the media. But how can you make the claim that the abuse of prescription drugs isn’t a huge epidemic? The 2010 Nation Survey of Drug use and Health states that 2.4 million Americans have used prescription drugs non medically within the last year with ages 18-25 being the highest of users. Evidence proves that prescription drug abuse is an epidemic in the United States today, and those who disagree rely on blaming the media for falsely portraying the intensity of prescription drug abuse. People often think everything is okay as long as it’s not right in front of their faces, and too many people have turned a blind eye to this dangerous addiction. It is time for people to realize the real issues prescription drug abuse is causing and how quickly it has become such a dangerous epidemic. How did this epidemic...
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...University Over the Counter, Over Prescribed Prescription Drug Abuse Over the Counter, Over Prescribed Prescription Drug Abuse When describing a drug addict, the stereotypical description is usually someone who has no job, steals to get their fix, and is living their life in poverty because of their crippling addiction. The drug of choice for these “junkies” is typically black tar heroin. However in recent years this has not been the case. The age of prescription drugs is beginning and people are dying from prescription drug overdoses at an alarming rate. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), as seen in Figure 1 found in the Appendix, in 2010 there were 8.76 million prescription drug abusers (Drug Facts: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications). Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in America and it is not isolated to the stereotypical addict, as doctors and emergency response teams are seeing more and more overdoses and individuals seeking medical attention who are in the upper middle class and lead a fairly “normal” life besides their addiction. The NIDA found that there are around 5.1 million people in the US suffer from substance abuse disorders related to prescription pain relievers (Figure 1, Appendix). Although pain killer abuse gets a lot of the prescription drug abuse headlines, there are other medications that are being abused namely stimulants. Because over the counter and prescription medicines are so easy to obtain and the stigma...
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...Prescription drug abuse is on the rise as a result of the numerous ways they can be taken, the different varieties of each type of drug, and their effortless accessibility. Doctors have reported writing more prescriptions out to patients recently than there has ever been before. “Ohio pharmacists filled 2.7 million prescriptions in 2008 for high-powered painkillers such as OxyContin and Percocet, narcotics that contain oxycodone; that's nearly one for every four people in the state” (The Columbus Dispatch 1). In addition to going to a local pharmacy to get prescription medication, people now can go to the Internet and find an online pharmacy which will send them medications. They are able to attain medication easier for the following reasons:...
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...Prescription Drug Abuse in America Kelsey Diamond Ferris State University Abstract Prescription drug abuse is a very real and prominent facet of American society. According to the staff at Mayo Clinic, “Prescription drug abuse is the use of a prescription medication in a way not intended by the prescribing doctor [and] includes everything from taking a friend's prescription painkiller for your backache to snorting or injecting ground-up pills to get high”. Because of the high rates of abuse and serious effects of prescription drugs, it is important that this topic is explained to and understood by the American public. The purpose of this research was to gain such understanding and organize it in a way that is informational and comprehensible...
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...Drug Profile Drug Profile * * Addiction is an escape of experiencing control it is an illusion and a mood altering experience. A pathological relationship with life-threatening or negative consequences, it is the experience that is addicting. People can become addicted to anything that alters our mood or consciousness. Addiction can be about self-harm and when done repeatedly it will stop or ease emotional pain that a person may be going through. An individual’s addiction can show an increased psychological and physiological dependence on the substance, and the person will cannot live a normal life. A drug addicted person will become unable to cope without the drug they are addicted too. Addiction can lead to antisocial behavior, violence; crime of all sorts, even murder to get what they want. Giving up drug addiction takes strength, mind strength mostly because the mind is responsible for the addiction. It is the beginning of addiction and the end of addiction. The mind and the body crave pleasure and stimulate neurotransmitters in the brain and the addiction finds pleasure in the drugs and the sensation itself. Any withdrawals from the drug will bring about depression, irritability, suicidal thoughts, restlessness, and anxiety. Addiction is mind control and can be overcome if the person wants, learning about his or her condition will give insight and understanding as why he or she may be addicted. There are three categories that certain drugs can share and have...
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...Prescription drug abuse has been a growing problem in society over the past few years. These drugs are so widely available, easy to get, and they have increased in popularity. The potential for abuse is very high with prescriptions narcotics and they have attracted a variety of age groups. Doctors will often prescribe these medications to individuals based on their claims they are in pain. While there are people who desperately need these drugs, a fraction of people who obtain them will either resale them, abuse them, or use them to get others addicted. While there has been legislation passed to fight this problem, it is just not enough. As long as a person has a valid prescription they can use the drugs as they see fit, while law enforcement officers are powerless to act. Not only has the use of prescription medication been a growing trend in society, but is has attracted a much younger age group. Observations by school officials and police officers have witnessed a growing number of school age children experimenting with prescription drugs. According to Robert DuPont, “an ongoing problem is the use of prescription drugs among younger people. Studies conducted in 2008 indicated that 4.7% of high school seniors used OxyContin, 9.7% have used Vicodin, 5.8% used sedatives, 6.2% used tranquilizers, and 2.4% have used Ritalin” (DuPont, 2010 pp. 128). Children can obtain these prescription drugs from their parents without their knowledge and develop a substance abuse problem. ...
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...Current Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis Pepper Iris Abstract Prescription drug abuse is a huge and growing problem in the United States. People who are subject are often the ones to develop these addictions. This can happen by being raised or living in a bad neighborhood where drug abuse is prevalent. People with mental illness are also much more likely to develop an addiction than people with normal brain tendencies. To prevent and decrease prescription drug abuse across the country, there are several things that can be done. Students can be better educated of the dangers of drug abuse, in detail, at an early age, then in a more serious way as they grow up and reach the older grades. Doctors can also be better educated in their colleges and medical schools through new programs that can be required to obtain a degree. Finally, the rehabilitation centers of America can use a total reform in both the program, and the priced. Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem in the United States. The rate at which abuse is growing is now higher than it has ever been. The issue is getting so bad, that some states, including Tennessee, have now labeled it as an epidemic. There are several factors that can contribute to prescription drug addiction, such as the environment the abuser is subjected to, as well as their psychological status. Doctors and pharmacists also contribute to the problem, although most of the time, unknowingly. There are several ways to decrease prescription drug...
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...2014 Drug Abuse Annotated Bibliography In today’s society, drug abuse, whether it be prescription or recreational, is becoming more and more popular. Steroids are another form of drug abuse. They are illegal and are very common in the sporting scene. Many of the people abusing these drugs do not at all realize the harm that they are doing to themselves. The sources I chose to support my argument were chosen because of their credibility and their accuracy. They all give either statistics or information on how bad the side effects of drug abuse are. "Addiction and Substance Abuse." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i1700390> In this article, the author(s) discuss many viewpoints on drug abuse. They explain supporters and opponents’ viewpoints on drug being kept illegal. An argument that I found that would support my own argument was the supporters’ idea that legalizing drugs will only make things worse by letting more and more people get into them and become dependent on them. My point in using this as a source is not to discuss legalizing drugs, but merely showing how people do know that they are wrong and can have negative, long-lasting effects on users. Marijuana is a gateway drug, and can be harmful if used over long periods of time. Long-time users have experienced permanent short-term memory problems, lung damage, and slowed reaction time. "Drug Abuse Effects." Drug Abuse Effects...
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...INTRODUCTION: Prescription drug abuse is using a prescribed drug by a person to obtain just for the experience. Many people and teenagers or adults have turned to abusing prescription drugs. Some people have an increased risk of getting addicted to drugs, pressure from peers also have a significant impact. Abusing these drugs have harmful effects to people, people who abuses prescription drugs can also affect the people around them greatly. These people may have difficulties in their life including problems with family, friends or rivals. Abusers are most likely to go to many different doctors to get prescriptions from them so they can get a large supply of their drug. They are also more likely to get into trouble with the law because of buying the drug on the street or due to an increased tendency to steal so they can be able to buy more. People who abuse prescription drugs are more. BODY: Most people take medications responsibly, however the non-medical use or abuse of prescription drugs or medications remains as a serious health concern. If you take a medicine in a way different from what the doctor prescribed then it is called drug abuse and it could be in the form of taking a medicine that is not prescribed for you, taking in a dose more than you need to, taking prescribed drugs in different ways like crushing tablets and snorting or injecting them and using medicines just so that you can get high. Certain prescribed drugs can alter the brain’s activity and can lead...
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...Kapfhammer Community Health Advocacy More than ever, thousands of young people experiment prohibited drugs. Whereas numerous of young teenagers by no means take their drug usage farther than the experimentation level, far too many will persist to absorb in this treacherous behavior until their drug abuse interrupts their lives. The most prevalent drugs of abuse among teenagers include alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs as well as common over-the-counter medications such as cough syrups containing pseudoephedrine and inhalants. This paper focuses on the drug abuse of prescription medications among teenagers from age 13 to 18 that has emerged as a public health concern and one that has evolved into epidemic levels. This seeks to elevate the visibility of the elapsed challenges, and problems associated with this epidemic. Prescription Medication Abuse: A Public Health Threat There is a compelling rationale that prescription medications are intentionally to be taken under the direction of a physician because if improperly consume these can be hazardous. Subsequently, teens are crafting decision to abuse prescription medications based on lack of information. In fact, numerous teens assumed that prescription medication abuse is safer than abusing illicit medications. Unfortunately, drug abuse pertaining to medication prescription is on the rise. This is the primary reason why this is relevant to me, more over because I have two teenagers. In 2004...
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...There is a drug crisis in America, but it is not the only crisis America is facing. I would say that there is a health crisis in America more so than a drug crisis. Even though the number of drug related deaths is quite high, there are still more health related deaths. In 2013, Heart Disease caused more than 600,000 deaths alone (Center for Disease Control, 2013) That being said, I do not think that drugs alone are killing America and that is the most serious issue we face. I still agree that drug use and abuse is a problem in America, and that this issue does need to be dealt with, but it is not our only problem. If America is going to focus on this drug issue, then it must recognize all drugs. Society is constantly placing the blame solely...
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...city. But, what people don’t know is that Guelph is on the raise of having a community addicted to prescription pain killers, one in particular, Oxycodone. Narcotic pain relievers; Oxycodone, Morphine, and Dilaudid are surfacing on Guelph streets fast and Guelph police are trying to do everything they can to stop these drugs from destroying the streets of Guelph. “Approximately $70, 000 in drugs and cash has been seized as part of an ongoing effort to crack-down on the trafficking of prescription drugs in Guelph”(Project Scripts, 2010). This is a good sign that Guelph police are taking steps towards a safer city, and having special tactical teams that can crack-down on the trafficking of prescription drugs. If Guelph police can seize prescription drugs one bust at a time, it shows addicts and drug dealers that Guelph police are not going to let drugs destroy their city. Prescription drugs are a dangerous drug since they can be prescribed by doctors, people can get them from any corner drug store, and police can not arrest or seize drugs from a person if they have a prescription. Therefore, Guelph police involvement is critical in prescription drugs and its effect on people, spin off crimes due to prescribed drugs, and pharmacies/doctors being more aware of what they are prescribing. Prescription drugs also known as pain killers are on the raise to being known as the most addicting drugs. Oxycodone, Morphine, and Fentanyl are all highly addicted drugs that people are taking that...
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...GLT Task 2 Substance abuse is defined as “a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood altering purposes” (Medline encyclopedia, 2014). This includes over the counter and prescription medications. Substance abuse leads to many problems from homelessness, jail, and even death. Many people abuse substances because they have some kind of stress in their life and see drugs as a symbol for a way out (More, 2008). I will be discussing how prescription drugs have an effect on the United States economy and how social theory relates to substance abuse dependency (More, 2008). Prescription drug abuse is one of many social problems in the United States. This problem is becoming an epidemic. In most instances, people are using controlled substance that were not prescribed to them or uses a legitimate prescription that does not match the label instructions (Davis, 2011). People think that since it was prescribed by a physician it is safe. This problem has been growing over the past few years and has cost the economy billions of dollars (Davis, 2011). Prescription drug abuse may come as a surprise to people but since physicians easily prescribe medications now days, they can be accessed very easily. Most drugs that are abused are opiates, which people also illegally sell on the streets for money (Davis, 2011). These drugs can be ingested, snorted, and smoked which is a misuse of how the medication is prescribed and is considered a felony (Davis, 2011). A wide...
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