As if the rise in teenage prescription drug abuse wasn’t bad enough, now many young people are mixing a variety of different medications together in attempt to achieve a more potent euphoric effect.  Unfortunately, as the death of actor Heath Ledger should have proven, mixing prescription medications is an incredibly dangerous activity that has caused the death of hundreds of young people each year.

One such case involved Phillip Ray Cottle, a 21-year old from Baytown, Texas who suffered from cystic fibrosis.   Phillip died several weeks ago after taking a mixture of Hyrdrocodone (the generic term for Vicodin) as the powerful painkiller OxyContin.   Phillip’s death was one of nine to hit young people in the small town in recent months.

The most popular, and subsequently dangerous mixtures include Vicodin, OxyContin, Xanax and Soma (the latter two being powerful muscle relaxant).

The most frightening thing about teenagers and presciption medication is that research surverys have found that young people are more likely to try Vicodin or Xanax as they would marijuana or alcohol.  This stems from a lack of basic information about prescription drugs and emphasizes the parents role in drug awareness.

It is absolutely essential that parents educate their children about the dangers of prescription drug use.   Many teenage children (and younger) are under the mistaken impression that just because something is prescribed by a doctor that is inherently safe.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Individuals who abuse and misuse a drug such as OxyContin are exposing themselves to a substance as addictive and potentially deadly as heroin.

If you, or someone you love has been abusing prescription drugs, find a drug rehab facility in your area that can help them get treatment before it is too late.

TV star Heather Locklear recently became the latest celebrity to be arrested in California for driving under the influence.   But while most other celebrities have been drunk when pulled over, Ms. Locklear was under the influence of prescription medications, specifically Vicodin.

After her arrest, Ms. Locklear issued a statement in which the former heartthrob revealed a longtime Vicodin addiction and other prescription drugs.

Quickly, her mugshot spread across the web, and the nation was once again distracted from more pressing issues by a celebrity up to no good.  Still, the event does produce something positive as it sheds more light on the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

Many young people unfortunately view prescription medications as somehow safer than street drugs, when the truth of the matter is they present just as many potential problems - especially if one tries to operate a vehicle while under their influence.

Now nearing her 50’s, Heather Locklear is likely looking back on certain aspects of her life and wondering “what happened.”  Looking at the now famous mug shot of Locklear after the arrest, we can all learn something about the devastating effects of Vicodin and other opiates.

For help with drug addiction, contact an addiction treatment facility in your area.  These facilities are staffed with kind, caring professionals who can change your life for the better.

OxyContin addiction continues to be a significant drug problem in the United States.  Here are eight things everyone should know about this powerful prescription painkiller.

1. OxyContin is prescribed by doctors only for their patients who are suffering from high levels of pain as a result of illness, injury or surgery.

2. OxyContin is a time-release drug, meaning that it should only be taken orally when prescribed by a doctor thus allowing the active ingredients to be released into the bloodstream over time.

3. OxyContin is VERY dangerous when misued.  Individuals who snort or inject OxyContin are releasing all of the active ingredients at once, which can lead to overdose.

4. OxyContin Addiction is very similar to Heroin Addiction given the opiate nature of both drugs and the highly addictive qualities found in each.

5. Individuals who enter OxyContin rehab must undergo drug detox before beginning the program.  During detox, the toxins found in OxyContin are given a chance to leave the body.

6. Counseling plays a very important role in the treatment of treatment of OxyContin Addiction.  Individuals in OxyContin rehab will likely take part in both individual and group counseling.

7. Just because OxyContin is a doctor-prescribed medication does not make it safe.  There is just as high a risk of overdose using OxyContin as for “street drugs” if abused or taken incorrectly.

8. Young people find OxyContin and other prescription medications at home.  The medicine cabinets of friends and family members provide a ready source for dangerous prescription drugs.  Adults are urged to throw away old prescription medications or keep current prescriptions under lock and key.

If you or someone you know is addicted to OxyContin, there are drug rehab programs that can help!  Talk to an addiction treatment center in your area for more information.

When Cindy McCain is asked about the causes she would champion as first-lady if her husband John McCain wins the presidency in November, the Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship heiress is quick to put prescription painkiller addiction at the top of the list.

That’s because she herself struggled with a Vicodin and Percocet abuse problem for several years, beginning in 1989 after injuring her back, until 1992 when she was confronted about the matter by her parents.

While there are certainly many concerns about both parties’ efforts to combat drug abuse and provide funding for drug addiction treatment programs, any public figure - Republican or Democrat - who draws attention to these causes would seem to represent a step in the right direction.

However, recent controversy over one of Ms. McCain’s doctors and a charity she sponsored that sent American physicians to third world nations around the globe has shed a negative light on the entire affair.  Even more relevant are the character issues John McCain has been forced to face since he had to admit he was not regularly present in the home during much of this dark time for the family.

As the press turns more of its attention to the personal histories of both Presidential candidates, one can only imagine that Senator McCain and Cindy McCain will be forced to answer more in depth questions about the “painkiller period” in their lives.

Individuals who are struggling with prescription painkiller addiction should contact a drug rehab facility immediately.  The professionals at these treatment facilities can help individuals overcome the physical and psychological components of addiction - and get a new lease on life.

More and more young people are using prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin as a recreational drug.  They use these painkillers for their euphoric effects and obtain them by any all means necessary.  

The problem is that buying prescription medications online, or from a drug dealer can get expensive.  Obtaining medication on the black market can cost several dollars a pill, which adds up fast when the individual develops a tolerance to the drug and must begin to take more and more of them in order to obtain the desired effect.

What’s most frightening about this trend is that when young people run out of money and pills, they turn to a similar drug, priced well within their budget - heroin.

Many people do not realize that heroin provides an effect very similar to Vicodin and other doctor-prescribed painkillers.  Once addicts learn about the similarities, they will begin taking heroin in order to get their “fix.”

This is dangerous for several reasons:

• Heroin can come to the user in stronger-than-expected or contaminated doses which may lead to overdose and even death.
• Heroin, when taken using a needle can expose the individual to a variety of deadly diseases such as HIV, AIDS or Hepatitis.
• Heroin carries with it a social stigma that carries many young people away from their family and friends and into a downward spiral that can destroy what should be the happiest years of their life.

For all these reasons, plus myriad more, contact a drug rehab facility in your area if you are taking prescription painkillers and cannot stop.

Prescription drug addiction is on the rise in the United States and is showing no signs of slowing down.  But what is fueling the problem?  And are we any closer to making gains in stopping the illegal abuse of drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin - both of which are claiming the lives of our friends and family at an alarming rate?

Here are five facts from the front lines of prescription drug abuse and addiction that show just how serious this problem has become:

1.       Death due to accidental overdose of prescription medication has just surpassed car accidents as the number one cause of accidental death of U.S. citizens aged 45 - 54.

2.       An autopsy of the late actor Heath Ledger found that was taking six different prescription medications at the time of his death.

3.       A recent federal survey found that in 2007, almost 7 million American abused prescription drugs, which is more than cocaine, heroin, LSD, ecstasy, and marijuana combined.

4.       Over 60% of all United States college students have been given a chance to try prescription drug illicitly by their third year of college.

5.       Fraud involving illegal prescriptions for prescription drugs cost insurance carriers almost 73 billion dollars per year according to a report published in 2008.

Individuals with a prescription drug addiction need quality care to help them break the cycle of addiction.  If you or someone you love is struggling with a dependence on prescription medications, contact a drug treatment center in your area and learn about the options available to you.

A recent study at Columbia University found that hundreds of websites around the world are still shipping highly addictive prescription medications overseas, despite threats from Interpol and other worldwide policing organizations to combat the problem.

In its cleverly titled report, “You’ve got drugs” Columbia researchers described a process in which anyone, including minors, could easily have medications such as Vicodin or OxyContin shipped to their front door even if they didn’t have a prescription.

The process is difficult to police, according to the report, since many international pharmacies develop illegal relationships with physicians who then ship the controlled substances into the United States using disguised packages.

These doctors generally do not have more than a passing relationship with the patient, and would certainly be in no position to determine whether or not the drugs in question are causing adverse effects on their health.

As this news story adds, access to prescription drugs is a growing problem among young people, with one and five teenagers now reporting that they have illicitly taken medications in order to obtain their euphoric effects.

Currently, the most commonly abused prescription drugs are:

• Vicodin
• OxyContin
• Percocet
• Ritalin
• Amphetamines

Families who believe their loved one has a prescription drug addiction should contact a drug rehab center immediately.

Now that some time has passed since the media began its focus on OxyContin Addiction, several studies have been performed that may indicate that concerns about the drug were overblown.

OxyContin

Granted, OxyContin is still considered an addictive, highly dangerous drug if used improperly, but when taken as directed, the chance of “accidental addiction” would appear to be fairly rare.

Consider the following reporting from STATS, a non-partisan organization:

The consensus of all of these sources was, broadly, that Purdue had knowingly pushed a dangerously addictive product, and that thousands of people - most famously Rush Limbaugh - had become accidental addicts and hundreds had died, often through careless prescribing by doctors. As Geraldo Rivera raged on Fox news, Purdue’s “corporate vultures”

“…are the most insidious drug pushers, forcing their addictive junk on millions of unsuspecting victims, with the same disregard for their health and wellbeing as any demon doper.”

There was only one problem with all of this: the consensus, the moral outrage, the muck-raking investigative journalism wasn’t supported by reliable evidence.

STATS goes on to site the American Journal of Psychiatry, that studies 27,000 drug addicts across the United States and found that only a small number became accidentally addicted to OxyContin.

This report, however, should do NOTHING to undercut the importance of OxyContin rehab treatment for those who take the drug in any manner other than how it was intended.  If an individual snorts or injects OxyContin they are getting all of the active ingredients at once (instead of time-released) which can lead to addiction and overdose.