100% correct lizanne. The US is finally acknowledging the down side of it's drug culture.
CDC: Understanding the Epidemic
When the Prescription Becomes the Problem:
In a period of nine months, a tiny Kentucky county of fewer than 12,000 people sees a 53-year-old mother, her 35-year-old son, and seven others die by overdosing on prescription painkillers obtained from pain clinics in Florida. In Utah, a 13-year-old fatally overdoses on oxycodone pills taken from a friend’s grandmother. A 20-year-old Boston man dies from an overdose of methadone, only a year after his friend also died from a prescription painkiller overdose.
These are not isolated events. Each day, 44 people in the United States die from overdose of prescription painkillers.
Prescription Painkiller Abuse, Overdose, and Death:
A big part of the overdose problem results from prescription painkillers called opioids. These prescription painkillers can be used to treat moderate-to-severe pain and are often prescribed following a surgery, injury, or for health conditions such as cancer. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the acceptance and use of prescription opioids for the treatment of chronic, non-cancer pain, such as back pain or osteoarthritis. The most common drugs involved in prescription overdose deaths include:
Hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin)
Oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin)
Oxymorphone (e.g., Opana)
Methadone (especially when prescribed for pain)
Prescription painkiller overdose deaths also often involve benzodiazepines. People who take prescription painkillers can become addicted with just one prescription. Once addicted, it can be hard to stop. In 2013, nearly two million Americans abused prescription painkillers. Each day, almost 7,000 people are treated in emergency departments for using these drugs in a manner other than as directed.
Taking too many prescription painkillers can stop a person’s breathing—leading to death.
