Prescription Drugs Kill One Person Every 19 Minutes
Prescription drugs kill one person every 19 minutes – The Quiet Epidemic: prescription drug abuse destroys millions of lives Nancy Rosen-Cohen The Baltimore Sun There isn’t much attention paid to prescription drug abuse, except perhaps when a Hollywood star dies from an overdose. However, it is estimated that nearly one in five Americans has used prescription drugs for nonmedicinal reasons, and 15 percent may be abusing prescription drugs. This silent epidemic has become the leading cause of addiction. This week, the Maryland Chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the University of Maryland Medical Center sponsored the annual Tuerk Conference, a gathering of 1200 health professionals working in the field of addictions to focus on treatment and prevention of prescription drug abuse. Confronting and debunking the common myth that prescription drugs are less deadly and less addictive was one of the items on the agenda. The dangers of prescription drug abuse are growing at an exponential rate. Between 1992 and 2002, the number of prescriptions written increased by 61 percent, but the number of prescriptions written for opiates increased by almost 400 percent. Opiates reflect three-quarters of all prescription drugs abused. Actor Heath Ledger had Vicodin (hydrocodone), OxyContin (oxycodone), Valium (diazepam), and Xanax (alprazolam) in his bloodstream when he died. All are legal opiates. According to a report this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalizations for …
National voice on drug abuse research leaving her state post
Filed under: drug abuse articles
Her depth of knowledge and ability to explain trends in drug abuse has made her a favorite of the national news media, leading to appearances on NBC-TV's "The Today Show," CNN, National Public Radio and Fox News, as well as articles in the New York …
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Texas fights prescription drug abuse with e-data
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Commenting unavailable on some articles. As part of a technology change, commenting will not be available on some articles for a number of months. Read more about the change here. … In Dallas County, 14.5 percent of high school students have admitted …
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Aaron Fike completes NASCAR Road to Recovery program
Filed under: drug abuse articles
Aaron Fike, a former driver in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, was reinstated Tuesday by the sanctioning body after completing the NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy Road to Recovery program. Fike, 29, was suspended …
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A traumatic childhood could increase chances of drug abuse. #RiskFactors http://t.co/UFtcdErn – by BeCrystalClear1 (Be Crystal Clear)
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Hennepin County attempts to combat prescription drug abuse. http://t.co/qc4nZjoA #mnstatefair – by RichfieldPatch (Caitlin Burgess)
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The Hennepin County Sheriff’s office at the state fair, it’s the last weekend for the fair, where’d the time go? http://t.co/4Y0uSXJJ – by PlymouthMNPatch (Plymouth MN Patch)