Why Many Think Prescription Drug Abuse is not Dangerous

The Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drug abuse has been on a sharp increase over the last several years. Perhaps most shocking has been the rise of this type of drug abuse amongst our youth. In a 2013 study released by the Partnership at Drugfree.org, it was reported that teen prescription drug misuse and abuse has risen by 33% since 2008. This equates to one in four teens who have misused or abused a prescription drug at least once, with one in eight teens reporting that the drug used was a prescription psycho-stimulant like Ritalin or Adderall.

If you think that the idea to abuse these drugs comes only from the teenagers themselves, think again. The same report also stated that nearly ONE IN THREE PARENTS believe that these Rx stimulants can improve a teen’s academic performance even when not prescribed for ADHD. These facts alone are cause for alarm in even the most simplistic interpretation of a rudimentary textbook on the basics of drug abuse.

Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs

The most commonly abused prescription drugs are:

1. Opiate (opioid) painkillers (OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, etc.) 
2. Central Nervous System Depressants 
3. Stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, etc.)

The range of CNS depressants is very wide and includes anti-anxiety drugs, aka benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, etc.); antipsychotics, aka major tranquilizers (Zyprexa, Abilify, Seroquel, etc.); and sleep drugs, aka hypnotics (Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, etc.). Antidepressants (Zoloft, Lexapro, Effexor, etc.) are also abused.

Prescription cough syrup containing codeine (an opiate) is also commonly abused and mixed with promethazine (allergy medication) and other ingredients into a concoction called “Purple Drank”, “Sizzurp”, or “Lean.” Over-the-counter cold medication containing dextromethorphan (DXM) is also regularly abused.

The Tidal Wave of Drugs

If all this information seems confusing, then that is part of the problem. There must be thousands of different types of prescription drugs (it has been difficult to locate an actual number). Any generic drug name can have several brand names connected with it. A drug is released under one name and then re-released with a different name.

Drugs are heavily marketed in print ads, on the internet, and on television. The disorders themselves are marketed along with the drugs that accompany each one – like a package! Pharmaceutical companies profit billions of dollars and spend millions upon millions on advertising to consumers and directly to doctors. They also allocate millions to settle law suits, lobby legislative bodies, and entice the FDA to fast-track their new drugs and patents. Oh yeah, and they pay big money for “authoritative” papers and studies that extoll the efficacy of their drugs.

So if you are wondering why the problem appears overwhelming, wonder no more. It is designed to confuse you and short circuit your ability to reason.

A Notorious Example: Methylphenidate

Let’s take but one example: Ritalin. What is Ritalin? Ritalin is methylphenidate, a Schedule II narcotic in the same category as morphine, oxycodone, cocaine, and methamphetamine. What is a Schedule II drug? This is the criteria for Schedule II as determined by the United States Controlled Substances Act:

1. The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

2. The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions.

3. Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

Why is Ritalin (methylphenidate) Schedule II? Here are some of its short-term and long-term effects:

• Dilated pupils 
• Nausea 
• Loss of appetite; malnutrition 
• Increased heart rate & blood pressure 
• Disturbed sleep; insomnia 
• Erratic behavior 
• Irritability; aggression 
• Delusion; hallucination 
• Depression; apathy 
• Paranoia; psychosis 
• Suicidal thoughts or actions 
• Violent behavior 
• Lesions in nose when snorted 
• Respiratory damage when smoked 
• Infections & abscesses when injected 
• Damage to blood vessels 
• Damage to internal organs (liver, kidney, lungs) 
• Brain damage 
• Severe psychological dependence; addictive behavior 
• Convulsions; seizure 
• High blood pressure; stroke; heart attack 
• Unconsciousness; coma 
• Death

Brand names for methylphenidate include Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin, and Metadate. But there is a new brand of methylphenidate called Quillivant SR advertised as “The first and only once-daily extended-release liquid medicine for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).” Its maker (Pfizer) advocates it for children ages 6-12 and it lasts for twelve hours. This narcotic is advertised as “Fruit-flavored liquid medicine.” This is the same chemical as Ritalin which has become notorious for making addicts out of small children and teens who crush, snort, smoke, and inject the drug. Ritalin has become a street drug earning it the following slang names: Kiddie Coke, Diet Coke, Kiddie Cocaine, Poor Man’s Cocaine, R-Ball, Rids, Skittles, Smarties, Vitamin R.

Marketing the “Disease” and the “Cure”

But it goes much deeper than that. We know that these drugs are marketed to the broad public and bring in billions of dollars for their manufacturers. But did you know that the very disorders for which they are prescribed are also the subject of mass marketing?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the “psychiatric bible” fueling the widespread prescription of mind-altering drugs. This book lists hundreds of “disorders” and a checklist of symptoms for each. The DSM is not based on any legitimate medical science and its contents are voted on by committee. These facts are well-known and attested by psychiatrists and doctors. The newest DSM is called DSM-5. It is over 900 pages long and lists well over 300 disorders, such as bibliomania (collecting or hoarding books), nicotine withdrawal, dyscalculia (difficulty with arithmetic), night eating syndrome (late night binge-eating), perfectionism, and the list goes on and on.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), for which methylphenidate is prescribed, is connected with a long list of “symptoms.” The child need not exhibit all of the symptoms to be diagnosed. The list reads in part:

• Difficulty paying attention to details and tendency to make careless mistakes in school or other activities 
• Easily distracted; inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities 
• Difficulty finishing schoolwork or paperwork or performing tasks that require concentration 
• Frequent shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
•  Frequent shifts in conversation; not listening to others 
• Not following details or rules of activities in social situations 
• Fidgeting, squirming when seated 
• Getting up frequently to walk or run around 
• Running or climbing excessively when it's inappropriate 
• Having difficulty playing quietly or engaging in quiet leisure activities 
• Always being 'on the go' 
• Often talking excessively

Difficulty paying attention? Making mistakes? Not finishing schoolwork? Not following rules? Fidgeting? Running? Climbing? Not playing quietly? Being on the go? Talking? Isn’t this the behavior of any child – a happy, healthy one who is interested and learning about life? Why would anyone want to crush that?

I asked a friend of mine from Boston who had been put on Ritalin at age SEVEN, why a stimulant would be given to a child that is already very active. His answer was that the drug made him FIXATE on whatever was placed in front of him which to some could look like the drug was “working.” He eventually crushed and snorted Ritalin and became a heavy drinker and cocaine addict. He kicked drugs in his early twenties and went on to reach over 100,000 people with drug awareness and education. His story had a happy ending. Not everyone’s story ends like his.

Conclusions

I’ve been focusing on the psychotropic variety of prescription drugs and haven’t even gone into any great detail about opioid painkiller abuse. Oxycodone (known by its brand name OxyContin) is often referred to as synthetic heroin due to its potency. Painkillers and anesthetics are of course necessary in performing surgery and to alleviate moderate to severe pain. But administration of opioids must be closely supervised and ceased as soon as possible.

Why do many people think that prescription drug abuse is not dangerous? There are something on the order of FOUR BILLION prescriptions written every year in United States alone. Americans have been spending over 300 billion dollars annually on prescription medication. Drugs are everywhere, in our schools, neighborhoods, and medicine cabinets. People assume they are OK because they’re legal and they believe the advertising and they blindly trust “authority.” Even doctors assume they are alright because they’ve been approved for use.

FACT: Cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin were developed in labs and sold by pharmaceutical companies. They were fully legal. It took years for the public to wise up. Cocaine was an ingredient in Coca Cola – hence the name. Pharmaceutical grade meth is still sometimes prescribed for ADHD.

Deceit for Profit

People have the wool pulled over their eyes. They do not understand the medical jargon and that is exactly what is intended. Covert tactics are used to obscure what these drugs actually are and what they do. Yet, the information is readily available.

To a drug manufacturer, anyone is a potential customer. Don’t assume that everyone in the pharmaceutical machine is a saint who cares deeply about you and your children. A lifelong drug addict is the ideal customer because he or she is loyal to the product and keeps buying. Hopefully, I have shed some light on the subject.