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Prescription drugs are steadily becoming the primary drug abused in the United States and throughout the world.
There are many misconceptions of the abuse potential for powerful substances, such as oxycontin, because such substances can be obtained from your doctor and have actual use in the medical profession.
Sadly, there are those individuals who, from an accidential or not, require medication to address pain. Circumstance or poor heeling can lead to addiction to these drugs that simply require a signature from an MD.
Once that signature is no longer obtainable the true addiction reveals itself to the new addict in the form of cravings. The new addict will find a source of the drug to handle the new "problem" and committ theft or unneccessary expenditure to obtain the drug the addict will now need.
Sometimes the addict will use other drugs to satisfy the craving that is now in place and have an addiction to that drug with the real source of addiction stemming from the doctors prescription.
Data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse has indicated that the most dramatic increase in new users of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes occurs in 12 to 17 year olds and 18 to 25 year olds.
In addition, 12 to 14 year olds are reported to take painkillers or stimulants as one of two primary drugs used.
It also appears that college students' nonmedical use of pain relievers such as oxycodone with aspirin (Percodan) and hydrocodone (Vicodin) is on the rise.
Studies suggest that women are more likely than men to be prescribed an abusable prescription drug, particularly narcotics and anti-anxiety drugs. In some cases 48 percent more likely.
Overall, men and women have roughly similar rates of nonmedical use of prescription drugs. An exception is found among 12- to 17-year-olds: In this age group, young women are more likely than young men to use psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically.
In addition, research has shown that women and men who use prescription opioids are equally likely to become addicted. However, among women and men who use either a sedative, anti-anxiety drug, or hypnotic, women are almost two times more likely to become addicted.
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