All around us, every day, people are dying by the thousands. Disease, drugs, war, old age, accidents, abortions, murders, and medical errors are the most common causes we hear about. When considering which cause of death ranks as number one, most people assume war or cancer to be the leader, and it makes sense to think in those terms, since those are the two causes most often discussed in the media, yet, regardless how high those numbers are, they are nowhere near the total of deaths caused by legal prescription drugs. Shocked? Yes, it is shocking to learn that something that has been presented to us as life-saving and miraculous could actually be the complete opposite.
Prescription Drug Abuse is a Growing and Deadly Trend
Giving credit where it is due, many prescription drugs have helped thousands of people manage such conditions as chronic pain, depression, bi-polar disorder, and thousands of other ailments, but the keyword here is “manage”. The drugs don’t cure anything. They just mask the symptoms so the person can maintain some level of normalcy in their daily functioning. Sadly, for some, this false normalcy soon becomes their worst nightmare when an entire way of life disappears because the individual became addicted to their prescription drug.
The following statistics will help put this into perspective:
Currently, in the US alone, over 70 million people are taking one or more Rx painkillers.
Over 106,000 people die yearly from prescription drugs.
Approximately 2.1 million people are hospitalized for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) yearly, even when taking the drug as prescribed.
Pharmaceutical companies raked in over $85 billion dollars in profits in one year alone.
Opioid painkillers account for 38.2% of the 22,000 overdose deaths in the US.
Of the 1.4 million drug-related ER admissions, Rx painkiller abuse is present in over 548,000.
Rx painkillers are involved in more overdoses and deaths than are meth, heroin, cocaine and amphetamines.
Of approximately 38,300 overdose deaths from prescription drugs, over 30,000 were unintentional, accidental.
In a nation where one in five children are on regular doses of prescription medications, it’s not difficult to imagine what their, and our, futures will be like. Americans proudly proclaim that our children are our future, but what kind of future can they build if their minds are numbed and their bodies ravaged by the effects of powerful chemicals in the drugs they have been taking throughout their young lives?
According to IMS Health, ADHD prescriptions (methylphenidate) have risen to approximately 11 million per year. Amphetamine (Adderal) prescriptions have increased from over 1.3 million in 1996 to over 6 million today.
Where Do All These Drugs Come From?
Drug addiction is rampant in our country today, and it is not likely to stop in the near future because pharmaceutical companies are in constant pursuit of developing new, more powerful drugs. The drug companies also need new drugs to replace those big money-makers that have gone out of production due to expired patents, etc. In some cases, they take old drugs, re-market them under new names for treating a different disease or condition than what it was previously designed for. With these tactics in place, they are ensured of continued profits, and we can be assured of even more dangerous adverse reactions to the drugs.
In terms of street drugs, drug dealers and suppliers continuously look for more competitive, powerful drugs in order to compete with the cheaper, more easily obtained prescription drugs. They also try cheaper products to “cut” the drug in order to boost profits. Some of the fillers used are highly toxic and even deadly, but profit is the most important thing in their world. Basically, there are two major players in the drug world, the legal ones and the illegal ones. They are competing with each other to maintain their share of the market and the profit margins they desire, and innocent people die as a result of this profit-driven war.
More Deadly Than Guns or Wars?
In comparison to the above fact that 78% of drug overdose deaths were unintended, 61.2% of the reported 31,672 gun-related deaths were intentional suicides. This is an interesting comparison because it is a documented “black-box” warning that antidepressants such as Paxil, Zoloft, and Prozac are linked to an increase in suicidal thoughts or actions. When we watch the news about a lone gunman on the loose shooting innocent people, we are horrified that 3, 6 or 20 people were killed. But, what if they put it on the news that each and every day, every 15 minutes, a person commits suicide! That’s over 100 people a day. Would we still be horrified? Not as much, because it isn’t sensationalized the way gun deaths are. The CDC now lists suicide as the 10th leading cause of death in the US.
Mainstream news reports don’t include the fact that the wild gunman was most likely on some sort of anti-psychotic or anti-depressant drug. They want us to believe “guns” are the problem. Weeks later, in some brief recap, it might be mentioned that the gunman had depression issues and was under evaluation and on medications prior to the incident. But this little obscure statement is wedged in between the more colorful and blatant photos of the gun arsenal he was in possession of at the time. Another note of interest is that many antidepressants tend to be ineffective and may increase suicidal behaviors, especially in children. Ironically, the lone shooters are often in their teens. It is also interesting and ironic that mass shootings increased as the use of prescription psychiatric drugs increased. Are these drugs preventing or adding to the problem?
Did They Truly “Survive” the War?
Another trend in suicides seems to be developing among our returning military men and women. The alarming rates of suicides among veterans in the past few years seems to be escalating. For instance, in 2011 alone, over 301 soldiers took their own lives. In one month in 2011, the Army reported 32 suicides, the highest number ever.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA):
One in four Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report symptoms of a mental or cognitive disorder.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were reported by one in six veterans.
These disorders are strongly associated with substance abuse and dependence, as are other problems experienced by returning military personnel, including sleep disturbances, traumatic brain injury, and violence in relationships.
Active combat appears to be a contributing factor in these numbers.
Roughly 63,000 military persons have a problem with alcohol.
Military physicians wrote over 5 million painkiller, muscle relaxant, barbiturate and stimulant prescriptions in one year.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, every 65 minutes, another veteran takes his/her own life. Many of these victims were under the age of 49. Among active duty personnel, over 340 suicides were reported in 2012. That’s almost one suicide per day. There are currently more deaths among veterans by suicide than from actual combat. Did our men and women actually “survive” the war? Or, are they simply in active combat on different ground? Everyday they are in physical pain, emotional distress, fighting horrible images in their mind, and trying hard to get back to the person they were before going to war. They are, in essence, still at war, but this time they are trying to defeat an invisible enemy.
Silent Killers Hiding in Our Homes
The average American isn’t concerned about the dangers of prescription drugs. They trust the FDA, their physicians and the manufacturers of these products to provide safe and effective medications. Far too many opiate patients are becoming addicted to their drug because they think it’s safe and therefore, it should be okay to up the dose a little. Others become addicted after a prolonged period of being on the drug, even if taken as directed. When tolerance levels increase, more of the drug is needed, and overdose and addiction often occurs. Do the benefits outweigh the risks? According to the pharmaceutical companies, the answer is yes. But, if this is true, why are so many people dying?
Many factors and agencies are involved in creating, testing, approving, and marketing a new drug. With so many so people involved, the public assumes all contingencies have been considered and evaluated and that once the drug hits the market, it has been deemed safe and effective. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. For example:
Avandia, Glaxo/Smith/Kline’s diabetes drug, was linked to thousands of heart attacks.
Another of its drugs, Paxil, an antidepressant, was discovered to exacerbate suicide risks.
Vioxx, a painkiller manufactured by Merck was linked to thousands of heart disease deaths.
It took five years for the dangers of Vioxx to become noticed and acknowledged.
Vioxx was pulled from the market in September 2004.
More than 26% of attempted suicides involve benzodiazepines.
ER visits due to Ambien complications more than doubled in a four year period.
These drugs carry 22 regulatory warnings about the possibility of mania, violence, aggression, hostility, and homicidal ideations.
How many of these drugs are in the average American medicine chest today? A leading medical journal reports that in 2011 alone, over 4.02 billion prescriptions were written. That comes out to about 13 prescriptions for every adult and child in the nation. Imagine where these drugs end up. On a bedside nightstand, in a windowsill, in the bathroom medicine cabinet, in a purse, in a kitchen drawer, and even in the glove compartment of the car. From there, the possibilities are endless. Teens sneak the drugs out and take them to “skittles parties”. Or, they sell them. Addicts break into homes to steal medications when they are unable to obtain their drug of choice. Drug dealers steal these drugs to sell for a profit or for their own use.
Almost Out of Control
Once a prescription drug is taken away from the safety and control of a pharmacy, it could end up anywhere and cause a vast wake of damage along the way. Government agencies have partnered with physicians to initiate better control mechanisms such as random drug counts and blood tests, but a true addict knows how to get around these limitations. Legitimate users of these drugs must take precautions to keep them out of the hands of those who wish to use them illicitly. Especially teens, because they believe the drugs are safe since they were prescribed by a physician, and this misconception has resulted in an alarming number of adverse reactions, overdoses, and deaths. Today, almost 50% of teens believe that prescription drugs are much safer than illegal street drugs and 60% to 70% say that home medicine cabinets are their source of drugs.
With so many teens experimenting with drugs, an increase in unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases are to be expected. Currently, in the US alone, one child is born every hour suffering from drug withdrawal. In 2008 the teen abortion rate was 17.8 abortions per 1,000 females. The total number of teens that are abusing prescription drugs, street drugs, alcohol, inhalants, club drugs, and over-the-counter drugs is almost impossible to imagine.
Don’t Become Another Drug Statistic
It’s not a nightmare. We can’t wake up, turn on the light, and make the monster go away. The drug problem is a stark reality, and almost everyone is affected either directly or indirectly. Yes, someone is probably dying at this particular moment from drug overdose. Another needless loss of life.
Will you be next? Are you struggling with drug abuse or addiction? If so, please take action today to find a rehabilitation program and begin treatment right away. Don’t become another statistic when you have the opportunity to become one of the success stories. At this point, you still have a chance to turn your life around. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Sources:
AlterNet
Mayo Clinic
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
PBS: Statistics on Stimulant Use
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