Prescription Drug Abuse Kills More Americans than Illegal

It's shocking that prescriptions meds kill more than illegal drugs do - people have this perception that just because a doctor has prescribed them that they are safe, when that is definitely not the case. Please be aware of the dangers so you can help someone you love who may be using these medications in an unsafe manner and get them the help they need.

http://www.livescience.com/17406-prescr ... aphic.html
Prescription Drug Abuse Kills (Infographic)
by Ross Toro
Date: 12 December 2011

Deaths from overdoses of prescription painkillers have more than tripled in the past decade, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new finding shows that more than 40 people die every day from overdoses involving narcotic pain relievers like hydrocodone (Vicodin), methadone, oxycodone (OxyContin), and oxymorphone (Opana).

"Overdoses involving prescription painkillers are at epidemic levels and now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined," Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement in November.

In 2010, about 12 million people ages 12 and older reported using prescription painkillers nonmedically, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

From R. Toro, LiveScience