Preview

Prescription Drug Abuse

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2025 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Prescription Drug Abuse
Cultivating a Solution for the Youth of America Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic across the United States, destroying and affecting many lives of young Americans. Why do so many people abuse prescription drugs? Many think that prescription drugs are safer and less addictive than “street drugs.” After all, these are drugs that moms, dads, and even kid brothers and sisters use. The dangers are not easily seen, but the future of America’s youth will soon be in severe danger if the problem is not addressed. It will continue to get worse if action is not taken soon. Prescription drugs are only safe for the individuals who actually have prescriptions for them because a doctor has examined these people and prescribed the right dose of medication for a specific medical condition. To fix the rapidly growing issue, I will propose to support programs aimed at preventing drug abuse, to educate parents as well as children about the risks of misusing medicine, and, finally, to enforce punishment for crimes associated with prescription drug diversion. Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) said about 2.3 million kids ages 12 to 17 took legal medications illegally in 2003 (Banta 2). According to the Anti-Drug Foundation, teens say they abuse prescription drugs because they are easy to get and they think they are a safe way to get high ("Parenting of Teens” 1). Dr. Nicholas Pace, an internist at New York University Medical Center, clarified the sad truth when he said, “It’s a hidden epidemic” (Banta 2). Looking around Auburn University, the problem is not visible at a glance, but it is adamantly buried. How can this problem be prevented? First, start small. A program in Maine attempted to address the improper disposal of medications ("Prescription Medication Collection" 1). The program was designed to get people to put unused prescription or over-the-counter drugs in pre-addressed, postage-paid pouches and mail


Cited: Corder, Brice W., Ronald A. Smith, and John D. Swisher. Drug Abuse Prevention. Dubuque, Iowa: WM. C. BROWN PUBLISHERS, 1975. Sorensen, Andrew A. Confronting Drug Abuse. Philadelphia: United Church P, 1972.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1532 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse

    I am introducing an Ethical dilemma of “Prescription and Drug Abuse.” This topic will be very beneficial to me. Since I am in the process of majoring in Pharmaceuticals, it will relate to any future encounters of drug abuse in work areas, at home, or even in the hospital. Prescription abuse is uneasy encounter that needs crucial attention to be controlled as much as possible. Prescription drugs will always have an abuser. There will be people that approach the situation with good and bad morals. There are lots of organizations such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcohol Anonymous support groups; medically, from friends and/or family to help prevent drug abuse. How would an employee, friend, or family member with certain ethical views, of the Utilitarianism, Deontology and Noncognitivism theories, approach and handle such situations. Will it always be a negative outcome? This research paper will explain details in dealing with falsified records and missing pills at home, in the workplace, or the hospital.…

    • 1532 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Informative Essay On Xanax
    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Informative Essay On Xanax

    According to www.drugabuse.gov, it is estimated that fifty two million people with at least twenty percent being twelve or older, have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons at least once in their lifetimes. Some of the more commonly known drugs include Adderall, prescription painkillers and Xanax. These are the medications I will be researching and informing about, but there are definitely a lot more than three. Many people are prescribed and use these drugs as directed by a professional, but many also don’t. Adolescents often share or sell their medications to those who are not prescribed, and have no other way of receiving them. Constant misuse can lead to many health problems, and in extreme cases even death. Besides the abuse,…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1068 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse

    The authors explore and look at drugs and drug policy pertaining to prescription drug use. In chapter six, the authors outline the patterns of legal drug use; focusing on prescription drugs among 12th graders in an American highschool. There is also a focus on gender/sex, race/ethnicity, social class, and rural/urban locations.…

    • 1068 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse Paper
    • 1749 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse Paper

    "Prescription drugs are the number-one drug problem that we face today," says David Rotenberg, executive director of the adolescent treatment center at the nonprofit Caron Foundation. "They are more widely prescribed, more widely available, and more widely abused by adolescents than they have ever been before."(DiConsiglio, 1) Abuse of prescription drugs is one of the fastest growing problems for young adults in the U.S. today. It is a concerning problem because of prescription drug’s widespread availability and little known negative side effects. Prescription drugs are being abused by many young adults and college students. This research paper will focus on the types of drugs abused, where these drugs are coming from and the reasons for abuse, and the dangers of unknown side effects of abuse.…

    • 1749 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Opioid Use In Modern Society
    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page

    Opioid Use In Modern Society

    Crack, booze, pot, meth- from bustling cities to the serene countryside, the atmosphere surrounding an adolescent is permeated with drugs. Substance abuse has been an ever-growing problem in modern society, considering the amount of users today in comparison to half a century ago. In the 1990s, prescription drug abuse witnessed its first skyrocket. The use of drugs such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, increased by a staggering 343% between 1990 and 2005. From then on, drugs would become increasingly popular and would be more commonly distributed. In modern society, opioid use has become a regularity for a multitude of people, including the disadvantaged, the wealthy and successful, the middle class, and has recently been directed towards young adolescents.…

    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prescription Opiates
    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Prescription Opiates

    Doctors should not be the scapegoats to the epidemic because a lack of sufficient tests exist. Doctors can prescribe medicine to patients with malignant pains, medicine that can become highly addictive. Doctors prescribe opiates not fully aware of their true addictive properties, rather only looking at the benefits. Social scientist have seen suburban middle-upper class families affected by prescription opiates. This results from opiates being overprescribed to athletes and others with aching pain, without properly informing them of the risks. Teenagers have admitted to seeing prescription opiates at parties alongside alcohol and marijuana. These teenagers were not aware of these highly addictive opiates and the impact the drugs would have on their lives. Adolescents exposed to prescription drugs are one in fifteen times more likely to experiment with heroin (Curriculum Review 1). Unfortunately, this statistic logically shows a connection for the need of cheaper opiates, resorting to heroin. Teenagers who used prescription opiates eventually turned to heroin as a cheaper opiate to satisfy their…

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Prescription Medication Abuse
    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Prescription Medication Abuse

    The excessive use of prescription medications has become a major pandemic around the world. It seems that teenagers are familiar as to what prescription medication abuse is, and are not aware of how easy it is to become addicted. Statistics say that it is quite normal to overtake prescription medications at very adolescent ages. “In fact, use of prescription painkillers by teens between the ages of twelve and seventeen has jumped 10-fold since the 1960s” (Teens Increasingly Abuse Painkillers Science Daily). Even though commonly used drugs, such as Advil or Tylenol, are helpful for minor health problems; they are not meant to be taken in huge amounts. Teens are influenced by the atmospheres they are exposed to and have curious minds, which…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse Research Paper
    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse Research Paper

    Prescription drug abuse is a serious concern because it can easily and quickly lead to addiction or death. Every day in the United States, it is estimated that 2000 teenagers use a prescription drug for the first time without the approval of a doctor. In fact, roughly 7.4 percent of teens from the ages of 12 and 17 in America reported nonmedical use of prescription medications in the past year alone. Many believe that this new drug epidemic is affecting a large portion of the youth population (teens between the ages of 12 and 19) because prescription medications are not found in the streets, but at home-on kitchen counters, bathroom…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1377 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse

    In the United States, easy access to prescription drugs such as sedatives and pain medications is posing a major threat, especially drug abuse and dependence. The nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs (NMUPD), which is the same as using drugs without a prescription, and it is very common among young adults. For instance, drugs such as sedatives, opioids, and stimulants are commonly misused by adolescents simply for the experience or the feeling. The nonmedical use of prescription drugs ranks as one of the most common drug problems in the United States. However, the rate of misuse has slightly declined in recent years. The victims of misuse are mostly young teenagers who don’t have much information…

    • 1377 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1797 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse

    In a 1999 report, nurses were surveyed anonymously about drug abuse and 20% admitted to misusing at least one prescription drug. In another 1999 report, nurses were surveyed anonymously about drug abuse, and 20% admitted to misusing at least one prescription drug. Easy access was highly correlated with drug misuse. Nurses reported to use: opioids 60%, tranquilizers 40%, sedatives 11%, amphetamines 3.5%, and inhalants 1.9%. Of the top 17 abused prescriptions in 2013, 16 of the drugs (94%) are classified as Schedule…

    • 1797 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Persuasive Essay On Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Persuasive Essay On Prescription Drug Abuse

    Prescription drug use among high schoolers, specifically in Southern California, although beneficial at times, are being abused in some cases for the euphoric feelings they create in an individual. The parents of these students are taking notice, but have not had much interference with the abuse of these drugs among their children. Prescription drugs are a great benefit to those with hereditary disorders such as ADD and ADHD in the way that they help regulate the detrimental effects of the disorder and often suppress the disorder entirely, leading to a normal happy life. However, some prescription drugs, mostly painkillers and amphetamines, become subjected to abuse and overuse for the purpose of “escape” from reality and experience sentiments…

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dangerous Prescription Drug Overdose
    • 1644 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Dangerous Prescription Drug Overdose

    As we enter new generations, this issue is dramatically increasing. According to statistics and research done by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, this is an issue that is seen worldwide. Areas such as Europe, South Africa, and South Asia also have high prevalence rates of drug abuse. Although, it is unfortunate to discover and realize that prescription drug overdose among teenagers is more prevalent in the U.S. For instance, in the U.S. alone more than 15 million people abuse prescription drugs (Drug- Free World, 2017). Impressively, this number is more than the combined number who reported abusing street drugs. Shockingly, approximately 2,500 youth abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time. (Drug- Free World, 2017) Those statistics is just teenagers alone. According to the CDC, more than 1,000 people each day are treated in the emergency department for not using prescription opioids as directed (2016). From 1999 to 2015, more than 183,000 people have died in the U.S. from overdoses related to prescription opioids (CDC, 2016). Approximately more than 15,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription drugs in the year of 2015 alone. Interestingly, statistics show that overdose rates were higher among non-Hispanic whites and American Indian or Alaskan Natives, compared to non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics (CDC, 2016). We should stop and ask ourselves, what are the factors causing…

    • 1644 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1444 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse

    The television show House is a well known medical program. The show is about Dr. Gregory House who prescribed his own medication for immense leg pain. Dr. House ultimately fell into addiction; furthermore, he would lie, steal, and even went to the extreme measures to write his own prescriptions illegally (Legally). Prescription drug abuse (PDA) is the use of prescribed medication using it in a way not intended by the prescribing doctor such as for the experience or in the sense of being provoked. Prescription drugs come in various configurations and perform an assortment of purposes. Pain relief medications can be prescribed for minor strained muscles or traumatic surgical procedures. Abusing prescription drugs can cause negative effects such…

    • 1444 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prescription Painkillers
    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Prescription Painkillers

    “A survey of almost 1,200 college-age youth from around the country found that almost 16 percent report having used pain pills not prescribed to them at some point in their life, while over 37 percent said they would not know where to go for help in the event of an overdose.” These alarming numbers need to be used as a foundation for the battle against the opioid epidemic. The youth need to be taught to understand the extreme consequences that come from the abuse of prescription painkillers. As college students are subject to increased stress, depression, and anxiety the likelihood for abuse of a painkilling drug it raised dramatically. “32.7 percent of respondents said prescription pain pills are "easy" to acquire, with 49.5 percent saying they could get them within 24 hours. An even higher percentage, 34 percent, of college students said pills were "easy" to acquire. (Hazelden)” With easy access to these painkillers college students are at increased risk for abusing these drugs. Opioids should only be taken with a prescription from a doctor with specific instructions on the amount to consume and the length of time to be on the medication. With the extreme lack of knowledge college students have when it comes to taking opioids the more overdoses on campuses are documented each year. “Deaths from drug overdoses have jumped in…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Teenage Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Teenage Prescription Drug Abuse

    How should the issue of teenage drug abuse be handled? Prescription drugs are very popular amongst teenagers. Some teenagers have been known to abuse prescriptions drugs and possibly become addicted to them at a very early age. Some teens have turned to drugs for various reasons which may include peer pressure, family relationships, or sometimes wanting to relieve themselves of stress. There is no real answer to explain exactly why teenagers decide to abuse prescription drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse's 2003 Monitoring the Future survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders found that 10.5 percent of 12th graders reported using Vicodin for non-medical reasons and 4.5 percent of 12th graders reported using OxyContin without a prescription. (Volkov, 2007) Teenage drug abuse has sometimes caused many family relationships to change. It can also cause a noticeable change in their academic performance. In some cases the abuse of drugs by teenagers can also…

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More