Realities of prescription drug abuse
By Amy Rothermel, Deseret News
Prescription medications are part of millions of Americans’ daily existence — at least 60 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. While medications can be helpful and even life-saving, some are addictive and have a high abuse potential.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug abuse was the top cause of injury death in the United States in 2013. Amazingly, this means more Utahns died from overdosing on prescription drugs than in traffic accidents.
Some people start taking these medications as prescribed for legitimate pain but end up becoming addicted to them.
