More Americans taking Illegal Prescription Drugs

A new poll shows that one in ten Americans admits to taking a prescription drug they have not been prescribed, and a quarter of those people have used them just to get high. Dr. Wilson Compton is with the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “We’ve seen a market increase in prescription drug misuse across the United States in the last 20 years.” This is a worrisome trend with deadly consequences, adds Dr. Compton.  “The epidemic has been particularly seen in the overdoses and deaths associated with this increase in prescription drug misuse.” Getting prescription pills is very easy, continues Dr. Compton. “It is extremely easy to get prescription pills, both for legitimate reasons, we want to encourage that, and for outside of medical use it is also quit easy to get these pills.” These pills are only for the person they are prescribed to and not safe for others to try, concludes Dr. Compton. “People often think that because it comes from a pharmacy it must be safe, my answer is that it requires a prescription for a good reason, you need a medical evaluation before you take these sometimes quit dangerous medications.” Monitor your prescription pills to ensure you are the only one taking them.  Talk to your kids about the dangers associated with taking pills not prescribed to you.