Too Many Americans Are Dying From Prescription Drug Overdose!
Posted Jan 09 2012 8:56pm
The Centers for Disease Control reports that prescription pain medication abuse, and deaths, are at an all-time high in the United States. In the November issue of Vital Signs, a publication of the CDC, prescription pain medication deaths were reported to number 3,000 in 1999, but 15,000 in 2008.
However, many in the day-to-day practice of medicine have been predicting this sort of cataclysm for years. We’ve all seen too many young people die from accidental overdoses related to abuse of prescription pain medications. But why is it happening?
It begins with the very real, very miserable problem of chronic pain in those with legitimate illnesses and injuries. The overwhelming majority of physicians want to ease suffering, and often prescribe narcotics.
The Centers for Disease Control reports that prescription pain medication abuse, and deaths, are at an all-time high in the United States. In the November issue of Vital Signs, a publication of the CDC, prescription pain medication deaths were reported to number 3,000 in 1999, but 15,000 in 2008.
However, many in the day-to-day practice of medicine have been predicting this sort of cataclysm for years. We’ve all seen too many young people die from accidental overdoses related to abuse of prescription pain medications. But why is it happening?
It begins with the very real, very miserable problem of chronic pain in those with legitimate illnesses and injuries. The overwhelming majority of physicians want to ease suffering, and often prescribe narcotics.