Illegal drugs, drug addiction and drug overdoses, are often associated with dangerous drugs bought on the street like heroin, methamphetamine and crack. But this infographic shows that prescription painkillers are responsible for more deaths than any other narcotic and that drug overdose is on the rise. The issue is, compared to street drugs, prescription medications can be easier to acquire whether for one’s own use or for distribution to others.
The infographic shows that rates of drug overdose have skyrocketed in the last 20 years from 4 to 12 deaths per 100,000 people in the United States. This means that drug overdose is a leading cause of death in the nation. In 2008, more than 36,000 people died from drug overdoses.
The full scope of the problem becomes clearer when one looks at the source of the drugs. More than half of the people who abuse prescription drugs get them for free from a friend or relative, while 11.4 percent purchase them from friends and relatives. In addition, 17.3 percent of people get prescription painkillers from a doctor. This means that more than 80 percent of abused prescription drugs come from trusted sources. This presents a complicated issue in controlling the distribution of prescription drugs.
According to the infographic, New Mexico, West Virginia and Nevada have the highest overdose rates in the United States. New Mexico and West Virginia, in particular, have deaths almost over twice the national average
Infographic authored by Origins Recovery Centers,a rehab center in Texas. To view the original post, check out the original Prescription Painkiller Infographic.
Originally posted 2013-05-06 23:39:25.