Why Is Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise?

Every time you turn on the news or browse the web, you can easily see something about prescription drug abuse. It is on the rise in our country and it does not look like this major issue is going to subside anytime soon. The biggest issue with the rise of prescription drug abuse is: the majority of experts really do not have an exact answer to why this has become such a problem. It is difficult to solve a problem when we do not know the exact cause. As of 2009, about seven-million Americans were using prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Theories Behind the Rise in Prescription Drug Abuse

We do know that doctors are writing more prescriptions than ever before for drugs that are known to be abused. These include drugs, such as CNS depressors, opioids and stimulants. Patients may abuse these drugs themselves or sell them to those who abuse them.

Another theory is online pharmacies. While there has been a crackdown on online pharmacies, as 10 are shut down, 20 more pop up. They provide easy access to too many people, including children and teens who are seeking prescription drugs of abuse.

Then, we also have people taking prescription drugs from others. Teens may take mom and dad's medications, or a friend may swipe some from another friend.

Why is Prescription Drug Abuse so Popular?

You may think that getting high is the only motivation, but this is not true. Yes, many people do abuse these medications simply to get high, but many others have different motivations. In the case of stimulants, many people abuse these to keep up. For example, a college student is having trouble keeping up with her classes, job and other activities. Her friend offers her some Ritalin and she learns that this drug helps her get through the day with a lot more energy. Eventually, this college student is abusing Ritalin. This is a rather prevalent situation. Another example is the chronic pain patient. Some people who are legitimately in pain end up addicted to their prescription pain medications. Their addiction drives them to take more than is really needed, but their pain is very real. These are just two examples, but there are many more scenarios that show that many people abusing prescription medications do not do so strictly to get high. Regardless of the motivation, however, abusing these drugs is dangerous and is definitely a major issue in this country.

Resources

National Institute on Drug Abuse: Prescription Drug Abuse