Prescription
Drugs
Most people who take prescription
medications take them responsibly; however, the nonmedical use or abuse of prescription
drugs remains a serious public health concern. Certain prescription drugs -
opioids, central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and stimulants - when abused,
can alter the brain's activity and lead to dependence and possibly addiction.
Millions of Americans are
addicted to prescription drugs. Many of these addicts are average citizens,
with no prior history of drug abuse, who became “hooked” after first
using the drugs for legitimate medical reasons. Now, having escalated their
drug usage, they cannot stop. The destructive course of addiction rips at the
thread of family fabric.
Chances are you, or someone
you know, is struggling with addiction to prescription drugs. Maybe it’s
your spouse, a relative, a friend, or a casual acquaintance. Maybe it’s
you. Maybe you’re not even sure if the drug use has shifted from therapeutic
to abusive.
Prescription drug abuse
may be defined as a pattern of compulsive drug use characterized by a continued
craving for drugs and the need to use these drugs for psychological effects
or mood alterations. Many prescription drug abusers find that they need to use
drugs to feel “normal.” The user exhibits drug seeking behavior and
is often preoccupied with using and obtaining the drugs of choice. These substances
may be obtained through legal or illegal channels.
Although many prescription
drugs can be abused or misused, there are three classes of prescription drugs
that are most commonly abused:
- Opioids, which are most
often prescribed to treat pain;
- CNS depressants, which
are used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders;
- Stimulants, which are
prescribed to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), and obesity.
According to the Drug Abuse
Warning Network (DAWN), fourteen of the top twenty most abused controlled substances
in the United States, are prescription drugs. Benzodiazepines rank highest on
the list, and are followed by the opiates or painkillers.
Top 20 Most Abused Drugs
- Cocaine
- Marijuana
- Heroin
- Unspecified benzodiazepine
- Alprazolam (Xanax)
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- Hydrocodone (Vicodin,
Lorcet, Lortab)
- Amphetamine
- Diazepam (Valium)
- Lorazeparn (Ativan)
- Metharnphetamine (speed)
- Trazodone (Desyrel)
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Carisoprodol
- Oxycodone (Percocet 5,
Perdocan, Tylox)
- Valproic acid
- d-Propoxyphene (Darvocet
N, Darvon)
- Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- Methadone
- LSD
Source:
Drug Abuse Warning Network Emergency Room Data, 1999, Table 2.06A.