[madisgram]

for me this is another article backed up by studies of what has become a national problem. i've known many ppl since i got sober who died of accidental overdoses. it can happen to anyone. users beware.

Every 14 minutes a person dies of a drug overdose in the United States. This means more than 35,000 deaths every year, exceeding motor vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides!
The director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), R. Gil Kerlikowske, a former police and justice official, has called the illegal use of prescription drugs, especially narcotic medications in pill form, the nation's "fastest-growing drug problem." What once dominated the world of overdoses in the U.S., namely heroin, has been eclipsed by the prescription painkillers (see below). These drugs are termed opioid analgesics, referring to substances produced from the opium poppy or manufactured synthetically with the same pain killing effects on the human brain (analgesic means lack of pain).
Where are the drugs coming from? More than 70 percent of those who have abused prescription narcotics got them from a friend's or relative's prescription. In other words, the supplier is no stranger. And the problem starts early: A 2009 national survey done by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a federal agency) demonstrated that 1 in 3 youth ages 12 and older began their path to drug abuse by using prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, namely to get high. Teens now report, according to a report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, that it is easier to get prescription drugs than beer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lloyd-...=Health%20News

sorry for long post. thought the graph was important enough to post too.

[lynn P.]

Yes you're absolutely right madisgram. Oxycodone is one of the most widely abused drugs ATM. Thanks for posting this.

[Ygrec23]

Hold on now. Another big oxycontin/oxycodone set of headlines. As if any of us haven't seen all the prior ones. And metamphetamine headlines. And the cocaine headlines. And the crack headlines. Heroin headlines. Pot headlines. Whatever.

Has it ever occurred to anyone with any degree of authority or responsibility (such as NIDA) to wonder why so many people in our country feel the need to get addicted to these various killers? The original stink came after 1900 and led to the requirement that opioids (and others) be dispensed only on prescription. I think, if memory serves, that that came in 1915. The Harrison Act? Not sure. And then various subsequent prohibitive enactments over all subsequent years.

Is a tendency to get addicted a basic human tendancy or does it in some way show that there's something wrong with our society? That's not AT ALL a loaded question. I DO NOT have a preferred answer waiting in the wings. In reality, I DON'T KNOW the answer. And I don't believe I've read such an answer anywhere. Nor do I have any information at all about whether other societies suffer more, less or about the same as we do.

Think about it for a minute. There does indeed have to be a reason for all this drug addiction. Either built into ourselves genetically or in some way promoted by our society, or both. People don't get themselves addicted to these terribly expensive drugs for no reason at all. Sure, the drugs "feel good," at least to some people. Does that mean a certain percentage of the population has "bad genes" or is there some other mechanism at fault?

If there were some really, wildly reasonable person around, like for example Jeremy Bentham, how would he/she analyze the problem? What kinds of solutions would he/she consider? And what about the basic, underlying reason for not letting people indulge their taste for such things? No, seriously! I'm sure there are many anti-prohibitionists who have opined loud and long on these issues but I'm not familiar with their work. I'd really like to know. Do any of us here on PC have any pointers to authors or sources that can throw enlightment on any of these issues?

Me, I'm tired of these scare headlines. They don't scare me anymore. They're so damn repetitive. Been there, done that. Do they really affect any of you folks anymore? At least those older than 25 who've seen at least some of the prior waves before.

That lady heading NIDA now, I can't remember her name, seems very smart on TV, talking with Charlie Rose, but how smart are these people really? Are they really dealing with the real issues or is it the same nonsense over and over again. I'm tired of having my tax money spent on this ridiculous wild goose chase. Billions of dollars. Prove to me it's necessary and I'll shut up. I just don't think anyone has. Take care!

[odoyle]

Originally Posted by Ygrec23

Hold on now. Another big oxycontin/oxycodone set of headlines. As if any of us haven't seen all the prior ones. And metamphetamine headlines. And the cocaine headlines. And the crack headlines. Heroin headlines. Pot headlines. Whatever.

Has it ever occurred to anyone with any degree of authority or responsibility (such as NIDA) to wonder why so many people in our country feel the need to get addicted to these various killers? The original stink came after 1900 and led to the requirement that opioids (and others) be dispensed only on prescription. I think, if memory serves, that that came in 1915. The Harrison Act? Not sure. And then various subsequent prohibitive enactments over all subsequent years.

Rich and poor. Have, have not. The gap has been widening since the industrial revolution, just as the problem of drug and alcohol abuse has been getting worse, not better.

Drug abuse is a form of escapism. It is more prevalent among the poor and impoverished. Yes, it exists among the rich and elite as well, but they can afford luxury resort rehab facilities to get clean every 6 months. Does a kid smoking crack in the projects have that kind of resource?

The media bombards us every day with images of who we are supposed to be, what we are supposed to look like. For 90% of us, it's destroying our collective self-confidence and making us feel worthless. It's no wonder people want to get away and stop caring, even if it's just for a little while.

Is it genetic? No. Purely sociological IMO. Find a nation with a more even distribution of wealth, and you will find a nation with less drug abuse and less drug related crime. I bet you a beer. Well, maybe a soda.

[madisgram]

Me, I'm tired of these scare headlines. They don't scare me anymore. They're so damn repetitive. Been there, done that. Do they really affect any of you folks anymore? At least those older than 25 who've seen at least some of the prior waves before.

this post was posted in addictions to be informative. the more exposure to this health problem can keep it in the forefront, especially the young-may plant a seed, or keep the family to be on the lookout. overdoses are not meant to kill. they just take more rx than the body can process by mistake.
the overdose-having lost a friend abusing rx, 1990, she doctor shopped, and got away with it for new rx's in spite of the "act".

I think, if memory serves, that that came in 1915. The Harrison Act? Not sure. And then various subsequent prohibitive enactments over all subsequent years.

an example of how to get around this act: pain clinics-easy with minor doc diagnosis enables ppl to obtain large quantities. this is so rampart in florida. they drive for miles, kentucky, etc to get the rx and then return home, set aside their pills and sell the rest to others. fl and other states have their difficulties. if they can prove misuse difficult the pain clinic closes shop and reopens down the street with a new name. it's a fact that there is no tracking of rx's being prescribed in fl.
why does abuse of drugs occur?-i believe the main cause is to self medicate, thus not seeking medical or MH resources or having to deal with uncomfortable emotions. especially occuring with our teens who deal with emotional development. finding somthing that works to lift their mood is considered a shortcut to eliminate their negative feelings.

Does that mean a certain percentage of the population has "bad genes" or is there some other mechanism at fault?

both reasons imo. i'm in recovery and know about self medicating first hand. later sought MH help. diagnosed bipolar1 among other things and being alcoholic. history of drug abuse in my family. many ppl in recovery have a high statistic of this family trait. and often MH issues and drug abuse have a correlation.

Prove to me it's necessary and I'll shut up. I just don't think anyone has.

since it's a national problem that kills ppl i'm of the opinion that information is a wonderful thing. if this info saves ppl i'm for being taxed. drug abuse affects our society $$$ and crime in more ways than i can mention here. that's why i feel it's important. my life was saved by researching my drug abuse and ways to stop. there are others who choose for many reasons to avoid this topic. imo they may have a problem themselves. it's too close to home.
my purpose is to inform. based on personal experience i don't require a study to believe. i lived the problem and fortunately lived. that's just my opinion to this topic and i'm sticking to it. i respect your right to disagree.
R.I.P. Mary jane, mother of 5, and many friends i had that died due to this problem.

[di meliora]

Alarmed by escalating abuse of prescription drugs during the past five years, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is intensifying its research in two areas--understanding mechanisms that underlie the reinforcing, addictive and toxic properties of the drugs and developing medications with less abuse potential.

http://www.dana.org/news/brainhealth/detail.aspx?id=9884
http://www.psychologytoday.com/searc...buse&x=10&y=13
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&cp=42&...w=1600&bih=770

[DespondentDaisy]

Well, Ygrec23, you pose a good question. It may have to do with the fact that we are 'social animals' (quoting a sociology professor) and that we crave human contact. Of course all to differing degrees depending on our personalities. But to an extent you could say we all crave love and a sense of togetherness and when we take substances that make us feel 'whole' or 'filled up' or that everything is ok, or that we're fine and successful in life (and overall sense of well-being, etc); that could substantially fill an emotional void if our social lives aren't exactly what we would like them to be. So this could easily become addictive, psychologically first as a substitute for basic human contact and love that is needed for maintainance of a healthy mental state. Then of course then becoming physically addictive as well after prolonged use. I don't know, just a thought.