Breathtaking Facts on Prescription Painkillers
1. Prescription painkillers cause more deaths than traffic accidents.
People who are prescribed a high dosage of pain medication are at a higher risk of death. In 2008, roughly 37,500 people died from the damage that is caused by long chronic prescription drug abuse.
2. 60% of young adults who abuse prescription drugs tried them before the age of 18.
The most common abusers of prescription drugs are teenagers and young adults. The United States reports that one out every seven teenagers admits to taking prescription drugs for recreational purposes.
3. 70% of people get their prescription drugs from a friend or relative.
The Substance Abuse of Mental Health Services Administration states that 70% percent of people get prescription drugs through the means of friends and relatives. Of that 70%, almost 10% bought the drugs and 5% took the drugs without asking.
4. Prescription drugs are the leading drug of choice in overdose-related deaths.
There are more overdose-related deaths from prescription drugs than there are from heroin and cocaine combined.
5. The second most commonly abused drug by teens are prescription pills.
Prescription drugs, like Xanax, are second only to marijuana when it comes to drugs abused by teenagers.
6. Three out of every ten teenagers do not think prescription drugs are addictive.
Because prescription drugs are prescribed by medical professionals, many teens do not think that they are addictive. The truth is they are just as or more addictive than any illegal street drug or alcohol.
7. Prescription painkillers have increased the number of unintentional deaths across the United States.
Between 1999 and 2007 there have been 28,000 deaths that were a result of unintentional prescription drug poisoning.
8. Prescription drugs are abused most in rural areas of the country.
Prescription drugs are a problem all over the country; however, they are most prevalent in rural states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio. Prescription drugs are also a major problem all throughout Florida.
9. Admission to addiction treatment for prescription drug abuse has increased an astounding 400% between 1998 and 2008.
It used to be that addiction treatment centers were filled with alcoholics and individuals who abused illegal drugs. As prescription drugs have become an epidemic, the number of people seeking out treatment for being addicted to prescription drugs has increased drastically.
Over 100,000 people are hospitalized each year for overdosing on prescription drugs.
It is easy to overdose from prescription painkillers alone. Often times people combine prescription drugs with alcohol increases their chance of an overdose.
