In US, an Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse
In US, an Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse – This is the VOA Special English Health Report from voaspecialenglish.com | http Officials in the United States say deadly abuse of painkillers and other prescription drugs has reached epidemic levels. More than thirty-six thousand people died from drug overdoses in two thousand eight, the latest year available. That was almost as many as from road crashes. More than half of the overdoses involved drugs that need a doctor’s approval. And three-fourths of those deaths involved what are called opioid pain relievers. These include drugs like methadone; morphine; hydrocodone, also known as Vicodin; and oxycodone, or OxyContin. Death rates from prescription drugs were highest among people forty-five to fifty-four years old.A recent government report said painkiller deaths more than tripled in the past decade. They now top the number of heroin and cocaine deaths combined. The Obama administration released a plan last year to try to deal with the problem. Some abusers seek help at places like the Malibu Beach Recovery Center near Los Angeles. They learn yoga and other ways to deal with anxiety, stress and pain. Joan Borsten heads the center. She says stopping is difficult because “in the case of pain pills, the body has stopped producing its natural defenses to pain,” and users have to have more and more. Around the country, special drug courts work with addicts to get them counseling and treatment. Mary Ann Gunn is a retired drug-court judge. She now appears on “Last Shot With …
Targeting Substance Abuse
Filed under: Substance Abuse
A new provision of the state's Substance Abuse Law went into effect over the weekend. Suboxone, a substitute for methadone that's used to help hydrocodone and Oxycontin addicts come down from their highs, used to be prescribed in pill form. Under the …
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Forums aim to help parents raise drug-free teens
Filed under: Substance Abuse
To help equip them with the strategies and information they need to improve their odds, The Starting Place and the United Way of Broward County's Commission on Substance Abuse are hosting forums throughout September on teens and drugs.
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Arkansas House: Drug abuse prevention and treatment
Filed under: Substance Abuse
When it comes to substance abuse, treatment delayed can often mean treatment denied. That is why even when we are out of session, we are constantly working on ways to prevent substance use and improve access to treatment. As we approach September, …
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