Michael Jackson was not the first celebrity to die as the result of a drug overdose. What caught our attention in 2009 was that legal prescription drugs—and not illicit substances—were responsible. Perhaps it should not have been surprising. While the use of cocaine and methamphetamine is decreasing, a sharp upswing in the abuse of prescription drugs has been occurring among teenagers and adults in the United States. In fact, the results of a 2010 study revealed a 400 percent increase in substance-abuse treatment admissions for prescription pain relievers between 1998 and 2008, which brings that number to more than 7 million current users, or 2.8 percent of the population.
The escalation in prescription drug abuse has been attributed to a number of factors. In addition to a greater supply and availability of drugs, the number of prescriptions written between 1997 and 2007 outstripped the increase in population by a factor of seven. More than half of these non-medical users identified their drug source to be a friend or relative who had an unused supply of drugs obtained from a physician to treat an authentic medical condition. One-fifth of prescription drug abusers “doctor shop,” convincing physicians to write prescriptions that are not needed medically and identifying physicians known to freely write prescriptions on request. Still far easier is obtaining drugs through Internet sales, where few questions, with the exception of a credit card number, are asked.
Three groups of prescription drugs are most often abused. By far, the most common are painkillers such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Percodan, and hydrocodone, prescribed to relieve severe pain associated with trauma, an illness, or after an operation. Sedatives used to relieve anxiety or to promote sleep, including Valium, Librium, and Xanax, are also often abused. Stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Dexedrine (amphetamine)—prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), weight loss, or narcolepsy—make up the third group.
These prescription drugs are perceived to be safer than street drugs because they are on the market and prescribed by doctors. In truth, they act in the brain in a similar manner to illicit drugs. Further, at the doses taken, and when used in combination with other drugs and alcohol, they become potentially dangerous—even lethal.
SEE ALSO Cocaine (1884), Amphetamine (1932), Methamphetamine (1944), Ritalin (1955), Librium (1960), Valium (1963), Xanax (1981), Propofol (1983), Ephedra/Ephedrine (1994), OxyContin (1996), Weight-Loss Drugs (2010), Smart Drugs (2018).
Users of prescription drugs mistakenly believe these drugs are safer than street drugs because they come from reputable manufacturers and are approved by the FDA. Drugs obtained from Internet sources are of inconsistent quality, are often counterfeit, and may contain ingredients and doses that are not safe or effective.