Canadian, Ok 9/3/2009 12:51:27 AM
Michael Jackson: Latest Homicide Victim of Prescription Drug Abuse Highlights Bigger Issues
The news over the last few weeks has been buzzing with stories of Michael Jackson, his drug abuse and the tragedy associated with his death. However, an unfortunate sobering fact is that while Michael Jacksons’ homicide caused a severe loss for his family and the nation, just like Anna Nicole Smith and Heath Ledger whom died under similar circumstances, there are thousands more non-celebrities who suffer the same consequences of over prescribed meds. These unsuspecting victims of prescription drug promotion and prescription lose their families, friends and often, their life.
In fact, according to medicalmalpractice.com, there are 7,000 deaths/year from medication errors in hospitals, and a whopping 106,000 deaths/year from non-error adverse effects of medication. This is no surprise when you examine the over abundance of prescription drug abuse plaguing our nation.
According to Nora D. Volkow, M.D. in testimony before the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, several factors have recently contributed to the severity of prescription drug abuse, including drastic increases in the number of prescriptions written, greater social acceptance of using medications, and aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies. These factors together have helped create the broad "environmental availability" of prescription drugs.
Dr. Volkow clarified her statement of alarm by pointing out that the total number of stimulant prescriptions in the U.S. has soared from around 5 million in 1991 to nearly 35 million in 2007. Prescriptions for opiates (Hydrocodone and oxycodone products) have escalated from around 40 million in 1991 to nearly 180 million in 2007, with the U.S. their biggest consumer. The U.S. supplied 99 percent of the world with Hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin) and 71 percent of the world with oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin). “We clearly are under a self induced plague” says Rebecca Pool, C.C.D.C. at Narconon Arrowhead, the premier long term drug rehabilitation program in Oklahoma. “There are hundreds of people who call us each week who have become addicted to legally prescribed pain relievers and psychotropic drugs. Their rehabilitation from these chemicals is a life saving necessity if they are to survive.“
This is not necessarily new information at all. According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 50 million Americans aged 12 or older reported non-medical use of any psychotherapeutic at some point in their lifetimes, representing 20.3% of the population aged 12 or older. One-fifth of the population of the United States is using or abusing prescription drugs non-medically. By anyones standards, that is a huge percentage. In the survey, psychotherapeutics include any prescription-type pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative but do not include over-the-counter drugs. Additional data from the survey showed that 2.5 million people, aged 12 or older, initiated or started using prescription pain relievers non-medically within the past year, which averages out to around 7,000 initiates per day.
Emergency department visits with prescription drug abuse as the cause are from an interesting diversity of drug sources:
Drug Mentions
Psychotherapeutic agents 323,999
Antidepressants 79,682
Antipsychotics 44,733
Antiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics 233,875
CNS stimulants 13,892
CNS agents 373,138
Analgesics 323,579
Respiratory agents 28,867
Cardiovascular agents 36,343
Psychotherapeutics and antidepressant drugs rank highest in causes of emergency room visits due to overdose and adverse reactions, sometimes including death. “All in all this is a very dangerous threat to our nation and we must get it under control if we are to make it” exclaims Ryan Thorpe C.C.D.C. at Narconon Arrowheads intake and registration division. “These peoples’ lives have been torn apart and their life is in jeopardy from merely trying to solve a problem albeit medical or otherwise.”
Narconon Arrowhead, Narconon’s premier facility, located in Oklahoma on 216 acres in Arrowhead State Park, is the perfect get-away for an addict who is trying to recover from addiction. The peaceful setting we offer here is like no other and our highly trained staff are 100% dedicated to helping our clients overcome their addictions. Narconon Arrowhead first opened its doors in 2000 and starting delivering drug education across the nation in 2001 in an attempt to help prevent addiction before it starts. If you or someone you love needs help please call 1-800-468-6933 or log onto stopaddiction.com to speak to a counselor who can help you get started on the road to recovery for a life time.
