The Prescription Drug Epidemic in America
According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, over 23 million Americans are in need of drug rehabilitation services. This is a tremendous impact on our families, culture and economy. 52 million Americans age 12 and older reported a non-medical use of a drug at some point in their lives. That figure represents over 20% of the population.
July 2010,Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the U.S. DEA, testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health, on prescription drug abuse and stated prescription drugs are the "fastest-growing drug problem in the country."
February, 2011 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported at a joint presentation to Gil Kerlikowske, the DEA Director of National Drug Control Policy and to public health experts and physicians the following:
"The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. Over 27,000 people died from overdoses in 2007, a number that has risen five-fold since 1990 and has never been higher. Prescription drugs are now involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined."
This is further amplified by data from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which states that, 2500 teens a day on average use prescription drugs for the first time to get high. Sixty percent of these teens were age 14 and younger.
According to the SAMHSA, 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (September 2009) 56 percent of users obtained their drugs free from a friend or relative.
According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 10.5 million people aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the year prior to being surveyed. In addition, 18 percent of fatally injured drivers tested positive for prescription drugs.
Direct to Consumer Marketing
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of drugs began in August of 1997 after the FDA relaxed the rules allowing drug manufacturers to advertise direct to the consumer on TV. Prior to 1997 the FDA required that the ads include a "major statement" clearly stating all the major contraindications and major risks associated with a drug. In print advertising this was possible, but in a 30 second TV ad this was not possible. The change was made stating the major risks must be mentioned and how consumers could get more detailed information on the drug and the risks associated with it.
The consequences of prescription drug direct to consumer advertising are evident by the number of increased drug sales and number of new addicts. The epidemic of prescription drug addiction was not seen before 1997.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted a direct influence with direct-to-consumer marketing of drugs on TV and movies influencing children and adolescent drug use.
The Centers for Disease Control statement that prescription addiction is an epidemic in the U.S. underscores that such marketing tactics should be curtailed for a recovery to occur. Direct-to-consumer marketing is known to increase prescription drug sales as well as the potential for abuse, as published in The Journal of New England Medicine. These marketing campaigns along with direct marketing to doctors has heavily contributed to our nation's prescription addiction problem.
The truth about prescription drugs is clearly not known.
The Truth About Prescription Painkillers
The DEA states, "You can't predict the effect that a drug can have on you". This is true of any drug, including prescription drugs, and particularly painkillers. Even when medically given, a drug can have different effects than the one predicted. These are often referred to as "side effects", which are any effect from the drug not the desired effect.
Examples of some of the severe "side effects" to opioids (narcotics) are: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); confusion; difficulty urinating; fast or slow heartbeat; seizures; severe dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting; slowed or difficult breathing; tremor; vision changes.
Physical dependence (addiction) is another "side effect".
In the clinical trials of Oxycodone, a narcotic commonly abused, heart failure and 65 other severe reactions did occur. The most frequent non-severe reactions include nausea, constipation, vomiting, headache, and pruritus (an intense feeling of itchiness).
Thus the above statement by the DEA. There is no guarantee of how a drug will react on someone. No drug should be taken without close medical supervision.
The Truth About Drugs
Narconon simplifies the truth about drugs. Simply stated, all drugs are poisons. The amount taken determines the effect. A small amount speeds one up (or acts as a stimulant), a larger amount slows one down (or acts as a depressant), enough of the same drug fast enough kills one.
All drugs conform to these rules. As an example: Aspirin is considered a mild and relatively safe drug and is easily available without a prescription, over the counter in any drug store, grocery store or convenience store. If one were to take a bottle of aspirin and crush all the pills into a power and take a full tablespoon of the crushed powder, it would kill you. Depending on body weight, 20-30 pills would do it.
Another common example demonstrating the above is with alcohol. If one has one or two drinks of alcohol, one might feel more lively, talkative and social. A few more drinks he feels slowed down, groggy, or even falls asleep or passes out. If one could consume enough alcohol in a short amount of time, such as drinking a gallon of whiskey in 15 minutes, one would be dead from alcohol poisoning just as rapidly.
This statement does not exclude the numerous other reactions or effects possible from drugs or alcohol.
Why Prescription Drugs are Controlled Substances
Drugs are controlled in the U.S. by the Controlled Substances Act. According to the DEA: "The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) places all substances which were in some manner regulated under existing federal law into one of five schedules. This placement is based upon the substance's medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability. The Act also provides a mechanism for substances to be controlled, or added to a schedule; decontrolled, or removed from control; and rescheduled or transferred from one schedule to another. The procedure for these actions is found in Section 201of the Act (21 U.S.C. 811)."
Schedule I and II drugs all have a high potential for abuse and abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. Examples of Schedule II drugs include: Amphetamine, Cocaine, Codeine, Methadone, Methamphetamine, Morphine, Opium, Oxycodone, etc.
It should be noted that these drugs are highly abused and these drugs or derivatives are what account for the growing prescription drug epidemic.
The Answer to the Prescription Drug Epidemic
The first answer to prescription drug abuse is in the form of education in the true information about drugs. Narconon goes far in this providing drug education lectures and information to millions of school-aged children worldwide. We also do drug education talks to businesses and community groups.
The next answer to prescription drug abuse is safe and effective non-drug rehabilitation for drug abusers. We stress non-drug rehabilitation as the method of withdrawing someone from one Schedule II drug with another Schedule II drug has a very high percentage of relapse, given the simple fact that Schedule II drugs do have a high potential for psychological or physical dependence. This is one reason why the non-drug method of Narconon has a success rate four times that of the international average. The Narconon program as practiced all over the world successfully rehabilitates drug addicts from all types of drug addictions.
Call us today for more information and how you can help us to regain control of the prescription drug epidemic in America.