Teenage painkiller drug abuse is one of the major health concerns in US as many of the teenagers are getting addicted to these harmful drugs. According to a NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) report, about 5.3 million were current abusers of painkillers in 2009. About 1 in 10 high school children were abusing painkiller, Vicodin and about 1 in 20 reported using OxyContin for non-medical purposes.
Painkiller drugs are generally prescribed by doctors to treat illnesses such as migraines, arthritis, back injuries, to aid in recovery from surgery etc. As with any type of drugs, painkillers carry various risks and can be dangerous if abused or misused. But many people perceive that painkiller drug abuse is ‘safer’ than other illicit drugs.
Unfortunately, many people are getting addicted to these harmful drugs. According to National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), around 2.2 million people used pain relievers for the first time for non-medical purposes in 2008. Also non-medical use of pain reliever initiatives were three times more than Cocaine initiatives (0.7 million). This shows that millions of people ignorant of risks associated with painkiller drugs are getting addicted. Various risks associated with painkiller drugs are:
