Prescription Drugs Do Not Always Have a Positive Outcome

Every 19 minutes someone dies from an accidental prescription drug overdose. One of the most common drugs involved are opiates. Heroine and prescription drugs like oxycontin are both opiates, which is derived from opium. Since they both share chemical structures and bind to the same receptors in the grade, you get the same sensations of pain relief and euphoria. Heroin and prescription drugs are man made opiates and when taken in large consumptions it can cause drowsiness, nausea, and slower breathing and heart rate. Other effects include collapsed veins, abscesses, infections of the heart lining and valves, rheumatological diseases. Abusers of heroin are also more likely to suffer from HIV, hepatitis and other blood diseases as a result of sharing needles. Opiate pills and heroine build up a tolerance in users. Higher doses are needed to provide the same effect and causes cravings.

Despite the dangers, more people are moving from prescription drug to heroin. Heroine abuse has changed from being prevalent in a low-income neighborhood to affluent suburban communities. Why has this changed happened? Heroin provides similar effects but is cheaper and easier to obtain. Doctors are less likely to prescribe medications in states like Florida. In addition, oxycontin has also been made so that it cannot be easily crushed so that abusers have a difficult time snorting or injecting it. Opiate medications are about $1 per milligram but heroine is about one-tenth the price. According to a recent study, study oxycontin decreased from 35.6% to 12.8% in 2012 but the heroin usage doubled.

Prescription drugs are needed to treat legitimate health issues but can have unintended consequences. As long as there are drugs present, there will be abusers but there are ways to decrease it. As explained by CNN, some ways to reduce drug abuse include not taking more than your prescribed, not using other peoples prescriptions, not mixing opiates with alcohol, using over the counter pain relievers and using natural ways to elevate stress through exercise. ADAPT is working towards reducing prescription drug abuse through the Spring Cleaning Initiative. The Spring Cleaning Initiative will bring awareness to prescription drug abuse and encourage people to bring their old prescriptions to a nearby prescription drug drop off box.