Persuasive Essay On Prescription Drugs

Contrary to belief, almost all Americans use or have used some type of drug(s). When the topic of drug use and/or abuse brought up, naturally, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs are brought into the discussion while disregarding medically accepted drugs. Prescription drugs are usually not included although they make up a high percentage of misuse, abuse, and death. Properly prescribed medication causes approximately 106,000 deaths and over 2 million serious side effects. Illicit drugs cause between 10,000 and 20,000 deaths per year, only 10% to 20% of that caused by legally distributed prescription drugs. This number does not include illegally distributed prescription drugs. We often, as a society, blame addicts for their compulsion when corrupt doctors and friends and family. Of course, with maximum testing on prescription drugs before distribution to the public and a proper overview of past medical history of the patient can substantially decrease the number of side effects and …show more content…
“Despite the negative consequences… people have a strong craving for drug, making it difficult to stop using.” The action of abusing illicit drugs is usually a personal choice and frowned upon due mainly to the fact that they have been illegal; however, prescription drugs are usually given without a request and are completely legal to give to a patient displaying a need for it. Society and the medical world have made the separation of illicit drugs and prescription drugs into a spit between socially acceptable and non-acceptable.
As the legalization of marijuana is slowly spreading across the country, I assume that it is likely that the statistics of abuse would become similar to that of alcohol and cigarettes. Socially, we as a country to become more educated about these statistics and issue and raise more awareness of the damages legal, illegal, semi-illegal (prescription drugs)