In US, an Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse


 

In US, an Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse – This is the VOA Special English Health Report from voaspecialenglish.com | http Officials in the United States say deadly abuse of painkillers and other prescription drugs has reached epidemic levels. More than thirty-six thousand people died from drug overdoses in two thousand eight, the latest year available. That was almost as many as from road crashes. More than half of the overdoses involved drugs that need a doctor’s approval. And three-fourths of those deaths involved what are called opioid pain relievers. These include drugs like methadone; morphine; hydrocodone, also known as Vicodin; and oxycodone, or OxyContin. Death rates from prescription drugs were highest among people forty-five to fifty-four years old.A recent government report said painkiller deaths more than tripled in the past decade. They now top the number of heroin and cocaine deaths combined. The Obama administration released a plan last year to try to deal with the problem. Some abusers seek help at places like the Malibu Beach Recovery Center near Los Angeles. They learn yoga and other ways to deal with anxiety, stress and pain. Joan Borsten heads the center. She says stopping is difficult because “in the case of pain pills, the body has stopped producing its natural defenses to pain,” and users have to have more and more. Around the country, special drug courts work with addicts to get them counseling and treatment. Mary Ann Gunn is a retired drug-court judge. She now appears on “Last Shot With

 

Community Justice Center passes the test

Filed under: drug addiction help now

The premise is that people who are caught in the Tenderloin committing nonviolent felonies such as small drug sales, auto break-ins or shoplifting can avoid jail time and go to the Community Justice Center to enroll in a program for help with the …
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Courtland Rogers opens up about drug addiction, rehab stints

Filed under: drug addiction help now

“I've sobered up now, and I want to do right for Jenelle. I am a great guy with a … I'm not going to judge his drug abuse because I've seen it happen to people I care about, but I hope they both get the help they need for their childrens sake. dev. I …
Read more on Starcasm.net

 

Criminalizing Poverty

Filed under: drug addiction help now

Once upon a time, in the 1960's, homelessness was rare in the United States and was limited mostly to those individuals suffering from drug or alcohol addiction. And even among those with such addictions, few were actually homeless – jobs were …
Read more on Huffington Post

 

From Twitter:

RT @KnowAddiction: OxyContin Abuse and OxyContin Addiction: symptoms, risks, side effects, withdrawal and recovery | Read More – http:// … – by newhoperecovery (New Hope Recovery)

 

From Twitter:

RT @KnowAddiction: OxyContin Abuse and OxyContin Addiction: symptoms, risks, side effects, withdrawal and recovery | Read More – http:// … – by TBishopKotarba (Tina Bishop-Kotarba)

 

From Twitter:

OxyContin Abuse and OxyContin Addiction: symptoms, risks, side effects, withdrawal and recovery | Read More – http://t.co/SDmQ1w4V – by KnowAddiction (Project Know)