We have all read about prescription drug abuse, and how it is on the rise. We know there are many reasons that people take prescription drugs in ways that were not prescribed. Any time an individual takes a prescription drug that was prescribed to someone else, or takes a higher dose then prescribed, or takes them in a different way then they were prescribed such as snorting or injecting them, these are all forms of prescription drug abuse. This is a very dangerous practice, as the people who are taking these drugs in higher doses, or taking someone else’s medicines are putting themselves at risk. When doctors prescribe medications, they take into account potential side affects and weigh the side affects versus the benefit to make the decision to prescribe. Patients taking these medications incorrectly don’t have all the information they need to make a decision like the doctors do.
Some people take the medications to get high. Some take them to do better at school or work-people feel stimulants may help them achieve more. Some take prescription drugs to dull the pain, emotional or physical. All of these are forms of prescription drug abuse. What types of people abuse drugs? All types of people abuse prescription drugs, people you might not necessarily suspect. Teenagers and young adults abuse prescription drugs. Business men and Soccer moms are another subset that may abuse prescription drugs, when they are feeling overwhelmed. All types of people abuse prescription drugs, many of whom you might not suspect.
Where do these people get the drugs that they abuse? Surprisingly, they might be getting them from your medicine cabinet! When you host a party, do you lock your medications? When you hire a teenage babysitter do you make sure all of your medications are safely locked away? What about when your teenage child has a friend over? If you are having work done on your house, you might hide your jewelry, but do you think to put your prescriptions out of reach of the workers you have hired? Regular, everyday people abuse prescription drugs. The safest thing to do is to always keep your medications locked and out of sight and reach.