The Problem Of Prescription Drug Abuse - 1461 Words

â€Å"Happiness is not to be found at the bottom of a bottle or from the tip of a needle; it is not to be found amidst a cloud of smoke or within a sugar-coated pill. If you look for it in these places, you will find naught but despair† (Quotes about Drug Abuse). This quote by Wayne Gerald Trotman describes how heartbreaking it is to contemplate on exactly how many people’s lives have been adversely impacted as a result of abuse. Child abuse, animal abuse, and sexual abuse are all major types of abuse; however, prescription drug abuse is a problem that is drastically skyrocketing in today’s society. While other addictions and abuses are equally significant, it is imperative that people put a stop to prescription drug abuse using two simple†¦show more content†¦It is already mind blowing to comprehend that such a large number of people, including teenagers, have abused prescription drugs in their lifetime. It is even more dramatic when people come to the realization that those statistics were only conducted in one country: The United States of America. The surveys conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse only focused on national statistics for those living in the United States and not for those living in other international countries. It would be too arduous to understand the quantity of drug abusers worldwide. This just goes to show how severe of a problem that prescription drug abuse is - not only for Americans, but society in its entirety. The statistics show how immense of a problem that prescription drug abuse is, but what is even scarier are the people it has affected and the consequences and pitfalls that they have faced. In an article published by BMC Public Health, it is outlined that â€Å"In high income countries these drugs are widely used, however, they have a potential for abuse and are also used in excessive and non-therapeutic amounts by some patients. Such excessive prolonged use carries an elevated risk of many and diverse negative consequences† (Rossow and Bramness 1-9).