Drug overdose deaths up for 11th consecutive year

[Thebadguy]

CHICAGO (AP) — Drug overdose deaths rose for the 11th straight year, federal data show, and most of them were accidents involving addictive painkillers despite growing attention to risks from these medicines.

"The big picture is that this is a big problem that has gotten much worse quickly," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which gathered and analyzed the data.

In 2010, the CDC reported, there were 38,329 drug overdose deaths nationwide. Medicines, mostly prescription drugs, were involved in nearly 60 percent of overdose deaths that year, overshadowing deaths from illicit narcotics.

The report appears in Tuesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

It details which drugs were at play in most of the fatalities. As in previous recent years, opioid drugs — which include OxyContin and Vicodin — were the biggest problem, contributing to 3 out of 4 medication overdose deaths.

Frieden said many doctors and patients don't realize how addictive these drugs can be, and that they're too often prescribed for pain that can be managed with less risky drugs.

They're useful for cancer, "but if you've got terrible back pain or terrible migraines," using these addictive drugs can be dangerous, he said.

Medication-related deaths accounted for 22,134 of the drug overdose deaths in 2010.

Anti-anxiety drugs including Valium were among common causes of medication-related deaths, involved in almost 30 percent of them. Among the medication-related deaths, 17 percent were suicides.

The report's data came from death certificates, which aren't always clear on whether a death was a suicide or a tragic attempt at getting high. But it does seem like most serious painkiller overdoses were accidental, said Dr. Rich Zane, chair of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

The study's findings are no surprise, he added. "The results are consistent with what we experience" in ERs, he said, adding that the statistics no doubt have gotten worse since 2010.

Some experts believe these deaths will level off. "Right now, there's a general belief that because these are pharmaceutical drugs, they're safer than street drugs like heroin," said Don Des Jarlais, director of the chemical dependency institute at New York City's Beth Israel Medical Center.

"But at some point, people using these drugs are going to become more aware of the dangers," he said.

Frieden said the data show a need for more prescription drug monitoring programs at the state level, and more laws shutting down "pill mills" — doctor offices and pharmacies that over-prescribe addictive medicines.

Last month, a federal panel of drug safety specialists recommended that Vicodin and dozens of other medicines be subjected to the same restrictions as other narcotic drugs like oxycodone and morphine. Meanwhile, more and more hospitals have been establishing tougher restrictions on painkiller prescriptions and refills.

One example: The University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora is considering a rule that would ban emergency doctors from prescribing more medicine for patients who say they lost their pain meds, Zane said.

 

[thekingsmen]

No surprise.

 

[88m3]

most people die

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

meanwhile....

5 Years After: Portugal's Drug Decriminalization Policy Shows Positive Results: Scientific American

 

[88m3]

meanwhile....

5 Years After: Portugal's Drug Decriminalization Policy Shows Positive Results: Scientific American

I think it's a bigger issue than decriminalization, it's the forces that are pushing people into doing opiates all the time.


economic, mental health etc


If heroin and prescription drugs were legal people would be dropping like flies.

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

I think it's a bigger issue than decriminalization, it's the forces that are pushing people into doing opiates all the time.


economic, mental health etc


If heroin and prescription drugs were legal people would be dropping like flies.

most people who overdose on heroin die because the heroin they receive from the black market is not pure. Prescription drugs are legal, and this is what people don't seem to get: No matter what the legality of a substance is, it doesn't change the amount of people who are doing that drug or the access to it. And if anything, Drug use is lower in countries with liberal drug laws, that's not really a coincidence. We make stuff taboo, neglect to educate (or worse, misinform) people about real facts involving these substances and people will be even more drawn to it. Government has marijuana as a schedule 1, someone smokes it, realizes its rather benign and then ignores all other things the government says about drugs because they misinform people about marijuana.

Legal/Illegal doesn't mean Good/Bad. More people are dying from Alcohol and Cigarettes than all illegal drugs combined (plus aids, fires, murders and car accidents put together)

 

[88m3]

most people who overdose on heroin die because the heroin they receive from the black market is not pure. Prescription drugs are legal, and this is what people don't seem to get: No matter what the legality of a substance is, it doesn't change the amount of people who are doing that drug or the access to it. And if anything, Drug use is lower in countries with liberal drug laws, that's not really a coincidence. We make stuff taboo, neglect to educate (or worse, misinform) people about real facts involving these substances and people will be even more drawn to it.

the heroin statement doesn't ring true

"prescription drugs are legal"

The people doing them and oding on them usually don't have prescriptions.

If more people had access to heroin and illicitly obtained prescription drugs they would be getting sniffed and shot bruh.

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

the heroin statement doesn't ring true

"prescription drugs are legal"

The people doing them and oding on them usually don't have prescriptions.

If more people had access to heroin and illicitly obtained prescription drugs they would be getting sniffed and shot bruh.

My uncle had a scrip for oxycontin and OD'd. I don't think you realize how easy it is to get a scrip for stuff. Especially in certain states. Heroin and prescription drugs are everywhere. The legal status has no effect on either supply or demand, all it does is inflate prices, create a black market and an unpure product with no consumer protection.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

lots of shytty healthcare providers handing out oxys like candy

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

 

[DEAD7]

and?

 

[aqualung]

Drug makers are giving too much POTENCY per pill?

Naw. Folk pop too many pills without reading/understanding labels. They feel invincible.

--> aq out <--

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

Drug makers are giving too much POTENCY per pill?

Naw. Folk pop too many pills without reading/understanding labels. They feel invincible.

--> aq out <--

cuz there is no drug education at all in this country.. just constant misinformation..

 

[88m3]

My uncle had a scrip for oxycontin and OD'd. I don't think you realize how easy it is to get a scrip for stuff. Especially in certain states. Heroin and prescription drugs are everywhere. The legal status has no effect on either supply or demand, all it does is inflate prices, create a black market and an unpure product with no consumer protection.

And did he od because he was taking the recommend amount?

Heroin and prescription drugs are everywhere so we should make them more available so more people can die?

The legal status has no effect on either supply or demand, all it does is inflate prices

You just proved you are wrong. Cheers

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

And did he od because he was taking the recommend amount?

Heroin and prescription drugs are everywhere so we should make them more available so more people can die?



You just proved you are wrong. Cheers

making stuff illegal does not change its availability! Illegal drugs are just as plentiful as legal drugs. With a couple calls I can get acid, shrooms, molly, weed, coke, xanax, whatever. People are going to do drugs no matter what laws are in place. Illegalization does much more harm than good. I'd rather the government be regulating these substances and putting age restrictions than leaving it up to the dope man down the street. Addicts are treated as criminals and not sick people in our current system.

Go look at the Alcohol poisoning rates during Alcohol prohibition...A legal market is always better and safer.