Posts Tagged ‘prescription drugs’
Video: Pharmaburger – Food Investigations episode 1
by Coralyn Vega | January 30th, 2011 | Videos | Comments Off
Prescription drug overdoses increases
by Coralyn Vega | April 13th, 2010 | Articles | Comments Off
I recently read an article on Citizens.org that proclaimed that prescription drug overdoses in emergency departments have reportedly increased. Below are some sobering facts:
- Prescription drugs are now the second most abused drugs, after marijuana.
- Hospital visits caused by accidental and unintentional prescription drug overdoses went up 37 percent between 1999 and 2006, according to data from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
- 741,425 needed emergency care in 2006 because of prescription drug abuse.
- Painkillers, such as OxyContin and Vicodin are the most common types abused.
- Central nervous system depressants (a.k.a. barbiturates), such as Valium and Xanax, are aso common.
- Girls ages 12 to 14 are more likely than boys to have abused prescription drugs and to have higher addiction rates.
Why is it that I never hear of overdoses or addictions in vitamins and herbs? Even if people don’t overdose, even if they don’t become addicted, these prescription drugs have terrible known side effects. Just listen carefully to the drug ads on TV, or ask your doctor for a list of all the possible side effects next time you are given something for an ailment. I would rather live a holistic life than live one that is tragically on course towards abuse, addiction, and ultimately destruction.
