The reality of prescription drug abuse is everywhere. The most recent episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show delves into the issues with Dr. Oz, a featured health expert for the show, best-selling author, professor and director of the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Prescription drug abuse can be a sneaky addiction because unlike other drugs, these don’t have to be injected or smoked so they seem more socially acceptable. But the effects can be just as severe. Many times an addiction begins with a legitimate prescription. Dr. Oz explains that prescription medication can be used for extended periods of time but the treatment should be altered if it is not helping to resolve the original problem.

Dr. Oz also discusses the effects prolonged abuse of prescriptions drugs can have on a person’s liver. A healthy liver works as the body’s detoxifying organ, filtering out toxins we come in contact with daily. On the other hand, a liver faced with excessive amounts of pills just can’t keep up and over time an addict may experience cirrhosis or chronic liver disease.

However, with the right treatments the damage can be reversed and the liver can regenerate itself.

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090915-tows-dr-oz-prescription-drug

New findings in a study from the University of Washington have shown that depression, obesity and alcohol abuse or dependency are interrelated conditions for women.

Data was collected from young adults when they were 24, 27 and 30 years of age. The amount of overlap for emotional and health problems was very high among the women. Men with one of the conditions did not tend to develop another one as a result.

The study found that:

• Women with an alcohol disorder at age 24 were more than three times as likely to be obese when they were 27.
• Women who are obese at 27 were more than twice as likely to be depressed when they were 30.
• Women who are depressed at 27 were at increased risk for alcohol disorders at 30. 

Although no step-by-step progression was uncovered, it is important for people suffering from these disorders and their doctors to know that one may lead to another.

Federal health officials say a new twist on the popular prescription painkiller OxyContin will make it harder to abuse.

The plastic-like coating on the new version is designed to make the drug harder and more time-consuming to manipulate. Although the resistance is limited, Purdue Pharma says the new version should significantly discourage abuse.

OxyContin was originally designed as a time-release version of oxycodone and was hailed as a breakthrough treatment for severe chronic pain. However, the drug was quickly targeted and adapted by abusers. A federal survey in 2007 found that 5.2 million people in the U.S. reported using prescription painkillers inappropriately.

The FDA has made consistent public service announcements regarding the issue but has seen little response. It has recently started putting pressure on companies to revamp their pain medications and make them more resistant to abuse.

14 out of 19 members on a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel voted in favor when asked whether the agency should approve the new OxyContin.

In Portugal 2001, illegal drugs were decriminalized as part of a risky attempt to reduce drug addiction. What was expected to fail and cause a social debacle, became a rather effective tool in helping resolve drug addictions.  What Portugal discovered is that a large portion of illegal drug addicts were afraid to seek help for fear of being arrested or worse. By removing the fear of severe negative reinforcement, Portugal officials found a significant increase in drug addicts seeking help.

This statement may sound like there are simply more addicts, but based on studies taken in Portugal since 2001, there have been decreases in the number of addicts for most major illegal drugs. Not only that, but the spread of HIV due to dirty needles used for these drugs dropped a whopping 36%. With so much good coming from this situation, it begs the questions: Will it last? Will there be an eventual crash? Is this an extreme way to solve drug addictions? It would be left for each to speculate on their own.

Article: http://su.pr/2rM1Y4

The disposal of prescription drugs can become just as harmful as abusing them. In cities across the country, water supplies have become "contaminated" with prescription drugs due to improper disposal. With the drugs left swirling down the drain and dumped into fresh water supplies, certain elements of the pharmaceutical supplements are left floating in our water supplies.

Community groups nationwide have been set up to stop the spread of this growing problem. By helping to remove prescription drugs from the home, the groups are hoping to get two birds with one stone. Collecting unused prescription drugs reduces the ease of access for possible abuse and reduces the contaminants in the water.

Government authorities do ensure that the water is safe, and considering the diluting of the drugs in thousands of gallons of water and the nature of most of the drugs, very little threat is posed to the public. However, the acknowledgment of improper disposal and leftover prescription drugs provided the opportunity to crack down on prescription drug addiction in communities, the silver lining of this project.

Article: http://su.pr/ACb0u9