Essay about Abuse of Prescription Drugs - 2259 Words

The definition of abuse of prescription drugs is using a medication in a manner other than prescribed, by a person who it was not prescribed for, to obtain a particular experience. Many people, but especially teenagers and young adults, have turned to abusing prescription medication. Some people have an increased genetic risk of getting addicted to medications but environmental factors such as economic level, lack of employment and pressure from peers also have a significant impact. Abuse of these drugs has harmful side effects to the person abusing them but can also affect the people around them. They are more likely to have difficulties in many areas of their life including problems with family, friends or coworkers. Abusers frequently†¦show more content†¦Opium was first extracted in a pure form called Morphine in the early 19th century and was used to treat the soldier’s pain during the American Civil War. Many of the soldiers became addicted to the Morphine. In 1905, the U.S. congress banned the use of Opium and a year later the Pure Food, and Drug Act required contents labeling on all medicine. Tylenol entered the market in 1955. Researchers developed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the 1960s. The first NSAID compound discovered was indomethacin. There are also two other common forms marketed in the U.S under the names Advil and Motrin. In the 1990s, two more compounds were released under the names Celebrex and Vioxx. Illegal opium trade bloomed by 1995 in Southeast Asia where 2,500 tons were produced annually. New painkillers came on the market with approval of Vicodin in 1984, Oxycontin in 1995, and Percocet in 1999 (Cummings 1-2). Vicodin has risen to the top as the most frequently abused pain medication. A common way of selling the pills is through song lyrics such as â€Å"Scarecrow, scarecrow what’s that you poppin? A powerful pill they call Oxycontin!† A powerful song that tries to sell Oxycontin and other painkillers to people around the world. Vicodin contains a high level of acetaminophen or Tylenol. This keeps many potential addicts from using Vicodin in mass amounts. Tylenol can be harmful to the liver if taken in mass amounts over a large quantity,Show MoreRelatedPrescription Drug Abuse And Prescription Drugs Essay1413 Words   |  6 PagesMost people are familiar with prescription medications; almost everyone has taken them at one point or another during their lifetime. Not all prescription drugs are addicting, but a large number of them are. Prescription drug abuse is a disease that has become a major problem in the United States, which affects over six-million Americans. Prescription drug abuse not only affects the individual, but can additionally have far-reaching consequences that affect family, personal health, employmentRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse And Prescription Drugs1487 Words   |  6 PagesPrescription Drug Abuse Prescription Drug Abuse has increased in an alarming rate over recent years! Prescription drug related deaths now outnumber those from heroin and cocaine combined. The abuse in prescription drugs in America goes back more than a hundred years ago. Prescription drug abuse is the use of a medication without a prescription, in a way other than prescribed, or for the experience or feelings elicited. 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The section continues with the relationship between illicit drugs and prescriptions, adolescents’ abuse, personal and social factors; then concludes with the theoretical approach. The Social-Ecological Theory, will be applied in researching prescription drug abuse, possible influences and protective factors in adolescents in relation to prescription drug abuse , to develop focused intervention strategies and educationalRead MorePrescription Drugs Abuse545 Words   |  2 PagesPrescription drug use has been rising in the past decade steadily. There are no signs of it slowing down either. In 1999-2000 people who have taken one prescription drug rose from 43.5% to 48.3%. The use of two or more prescription drugs rose from 25.4% to 31.2%. Also the use of five or more prescription drugs has risen from 6.3% to 10.7%. According to the recent Monitoring the Future study, which is the largest survey of drug use among young people. Prescription drugs are the second most widely