Pennsylvania and the United States as a whole are currently fighting one of the worst epidemics in recent years: prescription drug abuse. Overdose deaths from prescription painkillers have quadrupled since 1999, and Pennsylvania has a higher overdose rate than most other states (“Prescription Drug FAQ”). The most commonly abused prescription drugs are opiates. Opiates usually come in pill form and are prescribed to reduce pain. Some common opiates are Vicodin, Morphine, Fentanyl, and Codeine, which all can lead to heroin use (“Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines”). As painkillers become less freely available to abusers, many turn to using heroin because it is cheaper and easier to find. An average of three out of four heroin users report having abused prescription painkillers prior to ever using heroin (“Prescription Drug FAQ”).
Prescription painkillers and heroin effect the brain in similar ways, which can lead a person to addiction and overdose.
Although prescription drug abuse is an ongoing problem in the United States, there are ways to prevent addiction and overdose. As a parent, being involved and supporting your children can greatly reduce the likelihood that young people will use drugs. By having adequate communication skills with the children in your home, you can detect problems early on, support positive behavior, and stay aware of what is happening in your child’s life. Another important step to take to prevent prescription drug abuse is to dispose of medications properly. Pennsylvania has various medication drop boxes to safely dispose of unused drugs, and the FDA even recommends flushing some painkillers down the sink or toilet or throwing them away by removing the pills from the bottle and mixing them with an undesirable substance. Keeping track of medications in your home and restricting children’s access to them can prevent children from substance abuse. It may shock you, but many children steal prescription drugs from their grandparents and the elderly. In fact, 75% of young people who misuse prescription painkillers get them from friends and family members (“Prescription Drug FAQ”). Positive communication and handling medications properly are ways to ensure that the wrong person is not taking them.
Fortunately, if an addiction is acquired by you or a loved one, there are treatment methods that can improve the issue. Popular, science-based treatment methods for prescription drug abusers are behavioral therapy, medications, or a combination of both. The best types of treatments address a person’s various needs, not only with his/her addiction, but with his/her entire life. For example, many successful drug abuse treatments include family therapy, parenting support, and even social and legal services. For drug abusers, the best treatment options are based on science because, although twelve-step programs could be helpful, not all of their practices are scientifically accurate (“Prescription Drug FAQ”). Overall, most opiate users need at least three months of treatment to see complete results.
Unfortunately, if prescription drug abuse continues, death can occur from an overdose of the misused drugs. Drug overdose was the leading cause of death in 2013, which is greater than car accidents and homicide (“Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines”). Overdose can happen for a variety of reasons, such as misunderstanding the directions of a medication or accidentally taking an extra dose. The main reason for overdose for drug abusers is purposely misusing a prescription drug. A common misconception that many people have is that it is safe to take opiate medications that are prescribed to someone else. This is not true because of the fact that every person is not the same, and another person’s medication could have a negative effect on one’s body. Also, many people make the mistake of mixing opiate drugs with alcohol or other medication, which could cause extreme damage and even death. Fortunately for opiate users and their families, there is an antidote to an opiate overdose. The medication Naloxone can reserve the effects of an opiate overdose and even save someone’s life. In 2014, the state of Pennsylvania made it legal for family members of opiate users to obtain Naloxone from a pharmacy (“Prescription Drug FAQ”). By making an antidote easily available to family, the amount of prescription drug overdoses may be greatly decreased.
If you or a loved one struggles with prescription drug abuse, you can get information and guidance from www.drugabuse.gov, www.PAstop.org, or www.helpguide.org. Also, a completely confidential number to call for finding treatment is 1-888-599-4340. There are many options to receiving treatment for a prescription drug addiction, and if you or a family member needs attention for an addiction, you are urged to go online or call a drug abuse hotline for free guidance.