Blog # 2--Prescription Drug Abuse

September 23, 2010







      “Social disapproval of street drugs has grown, and the risks of such drug use has been

publicized more effectively, abuse of street drugs has slowly, but surely declined.” (Garrett) What

has increased is the abuse of prescription drugs. From a young age children are introduced to

prescription drugs and learn that medicine is a way for them to get well when they are sick or hurt.

They do not perceive medicine or prescription drugs to be something negative. As children get

older and start to experiment they realize that using prescription drugs recreationally can give them

a high that is similar to, or sometimes even better than street drugs. The abuse of prescription pain

relievers is a growing problem. A study conducted by the University of Michigan in 2005 found that

10% of high school seniors have used Vicodin and 5.5% said they used OxyContin. This may

seem like a small percentage but that was five years ago and that number is growing steadily.

SAMHSA reports that there has been a 152% increase in emergency room visits in the U.S.

related to OxyContin abuse. Figure 1 represents trends in Emergency Department (ED) visits

involving the nonmedical use of narcotic pain relievers from: 2004 to 2008. Figure 2 represents

visits involving the nonmedical use of narcotic pain relievers by gender and age group: 2004-2008.

Figure 3 breaks down the visits based on drug type.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

      It has been determined that Vicodin and OxyContin are the most commonly abused

prescription medicine “with nearly 1 in 5 teens having abused the medicines.” (Garrett) Vicodin

and Oxycotin are both used to treat pain and can be extremely habit-forming if not taken with

caution. The directions on the prescription label for OxyContin strictly say not to consume

alcohol when taking OxyContin as it can result in death. According to USA today this drug has

become extremely popular at parties and what party is complete without alcohol. Teenagers may

not realize that it is deadly for them to mix alcohol with this drug and when they are offered this at

a party, they don’t think twice. That is how a San Ramon High School Student, Joey Rovero,

died in his dorm room at Arizona State University. He mixed OxyContin with alcohol and it halted

his breathing. He received his drugs through a prescription and sold half of them to his

roommate, who also had an addiction to OxyContin. His drug abuse did not only hurt him, but

affected his family and friends that lost a loved one. 



 

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k10/DAWN016/OpioidED.htm 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-06-12-teens-pharm-drugs_x.htm  

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/national/20teen.html

Garret, Rose. “Prescription Drug Abuse: A Growing Problem Among Adolescents.” Education—Bringing Learning to Life. Education.com. http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Prescription

Blog # 1--Substance Abuse - A Victimless Crime?

September 16, 2010
      A victimless crime is an illegal act without an obvious injured party.  Substance abuse, which includes Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD), falls under this category but a question is raised whether it is really a victimless crime?  It can be argued that the only person affected by substance abuse is the user because they are not violating anyone’s rights.  .  When an individual consumes AOD there isn’t someone that can be hurt or call the police on them because they have committed a crime against another individual.  With substance abuse becoming a growing problem can it still be said that it is a victimless crime?  No, because everyone that surrounds the individual that is consuming AOD is indirectly affected, therefore becomes a victim.    

      Substance abuse, specifically alcohol, has become extremely popular with teenagers.  Underage drinking has become an apparent problem throughout the world.  Looking at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) statistics in 2003 and 2004 it was reported that throughout the United States percentages of persons from ages of 12 to 20 that have consumed alcohol ranged from 18.63 percent and all the way up to 42.68 percent.  These children that start drinking at such an early age start to develop serious health problems by the time they are in their twenties.  In an “ Vodka, homework and me” , written by Jamie Berry, he writes about a teenager, Helen, who started drinking at an early age of thirteen.  She is now twenty-five years old and suffers from liver disease that was caused by alcohol consumption.  Helen has a 50 percent chance of surviving until the age of thirty.  Substance abuse may be identified as a victimless crime but it is far from that.  Helen has become a direct victim of her crime of substance abuse.