It was only a few decades ago that the United States was shocked by the incidence of heroin abuse and drug addiction rates that Vietnam vets brought home. The ugly realities of war were reflected in later movies and documentaries; to escape the horrors witnessed, young vets turned to heroin, easily available and cheap. Becoming drug addicted, they brought back the "drug culture" to their home town.
Are we about to see another "Vietnam Syndrome"?
Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia warns that the incidence of prescription drug use among returning vets may have an adverse effect on our society in the near future. "Unfortunately, our vets, and the population at large, are not fully educated on the dangers of prescription drug abuse," comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia. "We as a Nation need to become educated on not only the dangers of illegal drug abuse, but also prescription drug abuse. Unfortunately, even doctors prescribing OxyContin, Xanax, Percocet and others are not fully educated on the dangers of drug addiction."
The Denver Post recently ran an article that details the percentage of vets using drugs in the Iraqi war.
According to the article, more than 12 percent of the fighting force have taken antidepressants or prescription sleeping pills in the war zones. "Sadly enough, this is roughly the same percentage as the returning vets from Vietnam hooked on heroin." comments Ms. Rieser.
The article goes on to describe the following statistics:
Supply center spending for eight prescription pain medications grew 62 percent in the first three years of the Iraq war.
Spending for the pain reliever Tramadol and narcotic painkillers oxycodone and Percocet tripled in those years. "As we know, oxycodone and percocet abuse leads to Oxycodone and Percocet Addiction," comments Ms. Rieser.
Spending for Topamax, an epilepsy medicine now being used to treat soldiers with traumatic brain injuries that could lead to seizures, nearly quadrupled in four years, from $5.6 million to $20 million. However,earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration warned that topiramate (generic Topamax), increased the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Ms. Rieser comments, "Having been in a combat situation can be very stressful, but to take a drug that can increase the likelyhood of suicidal thoughts is a bit scary."
Other experts also question the wisdom of prescribing Topamax widely to soldiers.
David Egilman, a clinical associate professor at Brown University who has served as an expert consultant to plaintiffs in drug litigation, said "All of these drugs increase suicide risk, which is why it's probably not good to give it to guys who carry guns."
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is not among the uses listed in the prescribing information for Seroquel, however, purchases of Seroquel nearly doubled, and demand particularly grew for the largest doses of the potent antipsychotic medicine, specifically for the treatment of such. However, some people have linked Seroquel use with suicidal thoughts, feelings of anger and rage, anger being a serious side effect that can cause injury to the patients taking it.
Spending for Ambien, which has been proven to become addictive, and can lead to cases of not only sleep walking but also sleep driving, doubled in four years, from $11 million to $22 million.
"Why would we prescribe medication to combat soldiers when these same medications are not allowed to airline pilots?" asks Ms. Rieser. "Unfortunately, these same vets, once home, will be addicted to drugs, maybe not heroin as in the Vietnam War, but to prescription drugs with dangerous side effects. Neither they nor their family members will have the knowledge to deal with the addiction once they return home. The young vets only take what their doctors tell them to take. Once addicted, who do they turn to?"
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Call Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia at 1-877-413-3073.
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