Prescription drug addiction and abuse is now causing more deaths than any other drug in the state of Florida.

In 2010, there were over 9,000 drug-related deaths, which is up nearly 10% from 2009.

The worst drug is Oxycodone, which goes under the trade names Tylox, Percodan and OxyContin. OxyContin addiction has been taking the country by storm for years – ever since it gained popularity as a prescription painkiller when the manufacturer (Purdue Pharma) lied to doctors and the public by saying it was less addictive than other painkillers. Purdue was taken to court and fined $634 million for lying about the drug, but that did not stop the firestorm of addiction.

Florida has been one of the hardest hit. In fact, of the 9000+ drug deaths in 2010, 1516 were related to OxyContin addiction and abuse. Also, even though 2010 drug-related deaths were up about 10% from 2009, OxyCodone (mostly OxyContin) went up 28%.

The second type of drug involved in the deaths was benzodiazepines (sedatives) at 1,304. And methamphetamine was third at 694. Other drugs, obviously, were all less than methamphetamine. Alcohol is also on the list – it isn’t often that you see a drug overshadowing the damage done by alcohol.

It’s obvious that prescription drug addiction is leading the way with drug-related deaths in Florida: they are responsible for nearly 1/3 of the deaths.

Many people believe that prescription drugs are safer than others since they are given out by doctors. Nothing could be further from the truth – the statistics speak for themselves.

If you know or suspect that you or someone you care about is suffering from OxyContin addiction, or benzodiazepine addiction, or is involved in other types of prescription drug abuse, you can get help. Not all drug rehab facilities are experienced with prescription drugs but many do an excellent job. At Drug Rehab Referral, we can help you find the best programs for your situation. Call us at 877-211-7428 for help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Many people still think of ‘drug addicts’ as people who live in rooms with mattresses on the floor, skulk around in alleys, and hang around with the ‘wrong people.’ But drug addiction, especially OxyContin addiction and addiction to other prescription painkillers has a new face – doctors, lawyers, accountants, business execs, even politicians – all thought of as ‘professionals,’ not the kind of people who even take drugs, let alone become addicted. And, yet, they are the majority of people who are getting OxyContin rehab.

This week in the news was the story of prescription drug addict Freddie McMahan, a 57-year-old electrician, retired from a major company.

McMahan suffered from scoliosis – a side-to-side curvature of the spine – and he was in constant pain.

For help, he went to a pain clinic – since pain was his complaint, he thought he would be going to experts. Instead of something to relieve the pain, he was given drugs.

Here’s an excerpt from the news item:

“Every month for two years, Freddie McMahan would get in his Lincoln LS and drive to a nearby pain clinic, where a doctor would prescribe him a cocktail of narcotic drugs. Initial prescriptions for codeine and Demerol to treat McMahan’s scoliosis eventually led to large amounts of OxyContin, Xanax and morphine. By the third week of his month’s supply, McMahan would run out, leaving him scrambling to get his fix somewhere else or go into withdrawal. A new month, however, meant another visit back to the pain clinic, joined by what McMahan observed to be an ever-increasing number of expectant patients. “I don’t know why they were there,” he said, “but I went to them to get the pain pills I was addicted to.”

After two years, McMahan decided he needed help. He went into a drug rehab program – it worked. He is now drug-free, and is helping others with the same problem.

Prescription drug addiction is so widespread right now that addiction treatment facilities often have more clients with prescription drug problems than with street drugs. And many of those clients are ‘respectable’ people – not someone you would think of as a ‘drug addict.’

OxyContin addiction – or addiction to any prescription drug – can be addressed with the right drug rehab program. Not every drug rehab facility is experienced with prescription drugs, and getting off them can be medically dangerous. So, it’s important to choose the right place.

At Drug Rehab Referral, we help you sift through the hundreds of options available to you to make sure you get the help you need.

Popularity: 1% [?]

A recent news item says that the heroin industry in Mexico is coming into high gear and, consequently, the Midwest and Atlantic states are going to turn into heroin hubs. Until now, that role has been played primarily by California and Texas. What does that mean for us – the general public? There will be a lot more heroin around, and a lot of people are going to be doing into drug rehab to help get off the drug. This is especially true for kids who experiment with drugs, and for people fighting prescription drug addiction.

The cost of heroin is already relatively low – $5 a hit, maybe as much as $10 – which is how students and young adults can afford it. For people with a prescription drug problem, like OxyContin addiction, heroin is also a cheap and readily available substitute. One OxyContin pill could cost as much as $80 on the street.

Prescription drug addiction has become a major problem in the U.S. Even the President’s talking about it. With prescription drug monitoring becoming more prevalent – which makes it harder for someone to go from one doctor to another faking symptoms to get OxyContin they can sell to others – and laws on pill mills getting tighter, more heroin will be welcome.

The article also said that the Mexican heroin dealers are changing the face of the typical heroin user. “Using savvy marketing tactics, they’ve also repositioned heroin commercially, revamping its image from the inner-city drug of yore, with its junkies and needles, into a narcotic that can be snorted or smoked, appealing to suburban and even rural high school youth.”
Pretty disgusting. Parents, especially, should make sure their kids are educated on drugs so they are not tempted. Also, anyone who has a friend or family member who tends to experiment with street drugs or pills and might be tempted to try something a little cheaper should put extra effort into getting them into a drug rehab program asap.

Popularity: 1% [?]