Dangerous Prescription Drug Overdose
Introduction and importance of the health issue Drug abuse carries many risk of serious side effects, including overdose. Drug overdose is caused when a person takes more than what is medically recommended. Any type of drug overdose can either be accidental or intentional. Whether it is accidental or intentional, drug abuse is dangerously harmful to one’s life. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of deaths due to drug overdose have increased more than double from 2002 to 2015 (2017). A person can overdose on drugs the very first time they try them. Also, some drugs have a higher risk and cause dependency more quickly than others. It does not matter whether a person is addicted to drugs or not, people can face dangerous
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As we enter new generations, this issue is dramatically increasing. According to statistics and research done by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, this is an issue that is seen worldwide. Areas such as Europe, South Africa, and South Asia also have high prevalence rates of drug abuse. Although, it is unfortunate to discover and realize that prescription drug overdose among teenagers is more prevalent in the U.S. For instance, in the U.S. alone more than 15 million people abuse prescription drugs (Drug- Free World, 2017). Impressively, this number is more than the combined number who reported abusing street drugs. Shockingly, approximately 2,500 youth abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time. (Drug- Free World, 2017) Those statistics is just teenagers alone. According to the CDC, more than 1,000 people each day are treated in the emergency department for not using prescription opioids as directed (2016). From 1999 to 2015, more than 183,000 people have died in the U.S. from overdoses related to prescription opioids (CDC, 2016). Approximately more than 15,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription drugs in the year of 2015 alone. Interestingly, statistics show that overdose rates were higher among non-Hispanic whites and American Indian or Alaskan Natives, compared to non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics (CDC, 2016). We should stop and ask ourselves, what are the factors causing
As we enter new generations, this issue is dramatically increasing. According to statistics and research done by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, this is an issue that is seen worldwide. Areas such as Europe, South Africa, and South Asia also have high prevalence rates of drug abuse. Although, it is unfortunate to discover and realize that prescription drug overdose among teenagers is more prevalent in the U.S. For instance, in the U.S. alone more than 15 million people abuse prescription drugs (Drug- Free World, 2017). Impressively, this number is more than the combined number who reported abusing street drugs. Shockingly, approximately 2,500 youth abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time. (Drug- Free World, 2017) Those statistics is just teenagers alone. According to the CDC, more than 1,000 people each day are treated in the emergency department for not using prescription opioids as directed (2016). From 1999 to 2015, more than 183,000 people have died in the U.S. from overdoses related to prescription opioids (CDC, 2016). Approximately more than 15,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription drugs in the year of 2015 alone. Interestingly, statistics show that overdose rates were higher among non-Hispanic whites and American Indian or Alaskan Natives, compared to non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics (CDC, 2016). We should stop and ask ourselves, what are the factors causing