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Posts Tagged ‘Prescription Drug Addiction’

Drugs addictions aren’t limited to the streets anymore! America is realizing a growing trend in white collar drug addictions, bringing narcotics off the streets and into the corporate workplace. These white collar addicts are respected members of the community, who own their homes and drive nice cars and hold high-paying jobs. Ironically, they are the new drug crowd.

White collar addicts do not score their drugs on the streets and they certainly don’t function like normal drug addicts. Many use prescription medication as their drugs of choice, often obtaining them legitimately at first for a medical condition and then continuing the dependency through numerous channels. Because the prescriptions do not inhibit their abilities like normal, stereotypical street drugs, these addicts are able to keep their jobs and remain mostly productive members of society.

Contrary to what many people believe, studies have shown that adults are more than twice as likely to be addicted to prescription medications as teenagers. In fact, it has been estimated that as much as 20% of the adult American population are addicted to prescriptions. Many of these prescriptions are supplied by coworkers in the workplace.

The most commonly abused prescriptions are opioids (OxyContin, Vicodin, etc), central nervous system depressants (Valium, Xanax) and stimulants (Ritalin, Aderol). Others find themselves addicted to antidepressants, painkillers, tranquillizers, sleeping aids, and even some over the counter medications like naproxen and cough syrup.

Suppliers of these drugs generally practice “doctor shopping,” where they visit multiple practitioners, including dentists, attempting to receive a prescription for their preferred drug.. Many undercover police investigations have found that these drugs can sell at astonishingly high prices. For example, the “street value” of one Adderall pill can be as high as $15 per pill and OxyContin can sell for as much as $1.00 per milligram—and since OxyContin can come in 80 mg pills, that’s quite a lot!

As evidenced by the following chart, different prescriptions appeal to different age groups and classes.

Drug                                          Average Age of New Users

Assorted pain relievers          21 years old
Stimulants                               22 years old
OxyContin                               24 years old
Sedatives                                 24 years old
Tranquilizers                          25 years old

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Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. AccuDiagnostics does not engage in the practice of medicine. The information provided should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Readers are urged to consult a licensed physician before starting or stopping any medical treatment. Any action by the reader in response to this information is at their discretion, and AccuDiagnostics can in no way be held liable for such action.