Assignment 16: Ben Schaeffer

“Drugs take you to hell, disguised as heaven”- Donald Lyn Frost. In recent decades, the use of drugs continues to increase ten fold. Specifically, prescription drugs. Teenagers such as yourselves snort, inject, and ultimately destroy their bodies to get pleasure and escape from reality for just moments. The hell that Frost speaks of is the cruel, unending cycle that these children get caught in: use, be used, and repeat. The drugs start to control them. Boys and girls from all walks of life see their lives family, and dreams slowly but surely deteriorate. These drugs, usually opiates, that medical doctors can prescribe, help people in need of relief, but for teenagers they provide nothing more than pangs of pleasure. Abuse can dissolve family life, social life, and destroy your body in the process.

The drugs of choice are predominantly opioids, although anti-depressants also find their way onto shelves. Opioids ease pain in people post-surgery. In controlled amounts they are not only effective, but also relatively harmless. Opioids bind to opioid receptors in the nervous system, mimicking neurotransmitters, and thus creating a faux feeling that certain pain is not present. Opiates can cause drowsiness, confusion, and even make it difficult to breath in those who take it as directed by a doctor (How). The overwhelming appeal to these pills is the euphoric feeling engulfing the user. Happy thoughts and a sense of pleasure are a direct result. Users of this drug strongly desire it. Similar to a dog sniffing out for the peanut butter, crazed people will go to great bounds to obtain the opiates. In fact, in 19th century China, British merchants fought the emperor for rights to trade opium. They knew better than anybody the sheer demand for this drug. Several hundred years later, young adults have the ability to find opiates and other prescription drugs just about anywhere. Antidepressants such as Xanax cause euphoria but also have detrimental side effects on the brain. The problem remains, how are these kids getting the pills? When their friends get surgery and are prescribed, they can purchase the pills. Others might steal from their parents or live in impoverished areas where access is not keenly limited. Regardless of the acquisition, the problem has reached new heights in the twenty-first century. The drug has been in steady increase since 2002, as the number has risen to 2.4 million users annually. (How). Abusers satisfy their needs at the cost of society, their families, and themselves. As focus turns to acquiring the substances or taking time out of their day to inject or snort, they lose family and friend time. Typical addiction behavior might drive certain loved ones off. Nearly 25% of medicare costs goes towards addiction treatment. This directly affects millions of Americans, as their taxes go towards such federal programs. Overcrowding of prisons also is a result. Of course this can’t be only attributed to prescription drugs. Having said this, a staggering 80% of prisoners are there for drug related reasons. American Addict, a documentary directed by Sasha Knevez, provides chilling insight into prescription abuse. The monetary relationship occurring between the FDA, doctors, and pharmaceuticals means that pills are the primary distributed means of medecine. The big pharma corporations do their part to insure the product they produce finds its way onto shelves, just as any company looks to turn a profit. The mass production of these pills makes distribution easy. Addiction quickly follows. This analysis, mixed in with personal accounts really analyzes how dependence on drugs ruins relationships. Unbeknownst to many naive users, drugs have decapitating and life altering consequences neurologically. Prescription Drug Abuse: The Hidden Epidemic : A Guide to Coping and Understanding, a book by Rod Colvin, further analyzes the effect money-hungry drug companies have on the American population. He has first hand anecdotal accounts because his brother died from prescription abuse. In an interview with Melody Peterson, author of Our Daily Meds, Daniela Perdomo, asked about the profit of pharmaceutical companies, further analyzing this idea. Peterson responded stating that 9/10 doctors receive some sort of financial benefit from major drug companies, and in turn they prescribe said drugs. The men taking care of us have these corporations in their ears, telling them to sell the product. Getting the drug out is the first step in, but it ending up in a teens pocket is where the real consequences start.

The developing brain does not take lightly to drugs. Neural pathways become deteriorated from the constant influx of neurotransmitters. This means moods, reactions, and cognitive ability are all affected. As a tolerance is built up, the abuser starts to toy with death. All it takes is one extra pill to cross the threshold, as the heart starts to beat too fast and ultimately the poor soul does not have adequate flow of nutrients to the brain to survive. A poster by Clear Channel in conjunction with the Florida Office of Drug control has a simple yet powerful message. It has bullets pouring out of a drug bottle with the caption “Prescription Drug Abuse is Dangerous.” Similar to guns, drugs are safe when handled properly, but when handled as toys, drugs become a sort of weapon that murders teens.

What can you do to help? First and foremost, if you suspect a friend or loved one is under the control of prescription drugs, tell an adult and get them to therapy and rehab as soon as possible. Raise awareness in the community by spreading flyers and spreading knowledge of teen drug abuse. People can blame the big pharma companies as much as they’d like, but at the end of the day it is up to the community to stop drug abuse in its path. According to medline.com, it is also up to the doctor to stop prescription abuse. At every appointment a doctor or psychiatrist holds, they should do a pill count. If the number is lower than what is required, the doctor should in turn cut off ties with the patient. This will reinforce the patients to consume the pills as directed (Prescription).

At the end of the day, not everyone will make the ethical decision. Teenagers will always be rebellious, and prescription drug abuse is no exception. Despite psychological effects along with changes in social and family life, teens continue to use them eagerly. Maybe the death toll will have to rise just a little higher before people’s interests are captured. Until then, it is important to get the word out and do your part in identifying a potential abuser.