A Nation on Drugs By Dr. Evelyn Higgins

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), nearly 7 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs - more than the number who are abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy and inhalants combined. Today's 7 million was just 3.8 million in 2000 - an 80 percent increase in just six years. Prescription pain relievers are the new users' drug of choice versus marijuana or cocaine. Opiod painkillers now cause more overdose deaths than cocaine and heroin combined. Shockingly, 40 percent of teens and almost an equal number of their parents think abusing prescription painkillers is safer than abusing 'street' drugs. 25 percent of drug-related emergency room visits are associated with the abuse of prescription drugs. So, armed with those stats, where are these kids getting their drugs? From your medicine cabinet, from illicitly acquiring prescriptions drugs on the Internet, theft from pharmacies or homes and friends and relatives? YES is the answer according to the DEA. As a nation, we take more prescription drugs than any other country. If the theory is that drugs make us well, why aren't we number one in health and longevity in the world? We aren't even close. Of course, drugs have benefits - they can save lives - but what we are learning is that many people use drugs for purposes other than saving lives. [more...]