Statistics show that the phenomenon is becoming very widespread

Nov 2, 2011 16:51 GMT  ·  By
Prescription painkiller overdoses kill more people than heroin and cocaine combined
   Prescription painkiller overdoses kill more people than heroin and cocaine combined

A new US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistic indicates that more people lose their lives every year as a result of prescription painkiller overdoses than they do on account of heroin and cocaine use combined.

Over the past 10 years alone, the number of deaths resulting from overconsumption of prescription drugs has increased by more than 300 percent, authorities announce. These numbers are appalling, considering the widespread damage that illegal drugs cause.

According to the new CDC analysis, which was released yesterday, November 1, it would seem that about 40 people die from painkiller overdoses every day. Narcotic pain relievers are most often the culprits, PsychCentral reports.

Drugs such as hydrocodone (Vicodin), methadone, oxycodone (OxyContin), and oxymorphone (Opana) are more often than not involved in instances of overdose. This happens because the chemicals are increasingly used for non-medical reasons.

Sales of these drugs are also on the rise, and the CDC team identifies these two factors as the primary driving forces behind the growing number of medication-related deaths. At this point, a large part of the general population in the United States is consuming painkillers.

“Overdoses involving prescription painkillers are at epidemic levels and now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined,” explains the director of the CDC, Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH.

“Prescription drug abuse is a silent epidemic that is stealing thousands of lives and tearing apart communities and families across America,” adds the director of National Drug Control Policy (NDCP), Gil Kerlikowske.

“Health care providers and patients should be educated on the risks of prescription painkillers. And parents and grandparents can take time today to properly dispose of any unneeded or expired medications from the home and to talk to their kids about the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs,” the official goes on to say.

The statistic shows that 1 in 20 people (0.5 percent) of all US citizens aged 12 and older were using prescription painkillers for non-medical applications in 2010. That is the equivalent of 12 million individuals, a huge part of the American popualtion.

“Almost 5,500 people start to misuse prescription painkillers every day. Just like other public health epidemics, community-based prevention can be a proven, life-saving and cost-effective key to breaking the trend and restoring health and well-being,” Pamela S. Hyde explains.

She holds an appointment as the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).