Poisoning from prescription drugs now second leading cause of unintentional injury death in the US

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-surprising-second-leading-cause-of-death-in-the-us.html

The Surprising Second Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.
posted by Melissa Breyer Apr 6, 2010 5:01 pm


In a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers came to a surprising conclusion: hospitalizations for poisoning by prescription medication has increased by 65 percent from 1999 to 2006. The rates of unintentional poisoning– from prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers in the U.S. has surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of unintentional injury death.

Simply put, this means that poisoning from prescription drugs is now the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S.

“Deaths and hospitalizations associated with prescription drug misuse have reached epidemic proportions,” said the study’s lead author, Jeffrey H. Coben, MD, of the West Virginia University School of Medicine. “It is essential that health care providers, pharmacists, insurance providers, state and federal agencies, and the general public all work together to address this crisis. Prescription medications are just as powerful and dangerous as other notorious street drugs, and we need to ensure people are aware of these dangers and that treatment services are available for those with substance abuse problems.”

Dr. Coben states that while the data shows a fast-growing problem, there’s an urgent need for more in-depth research on these hospitalizations. The study was able determine whether the poisonings were diagnosed as intentional, unintentional or undetermined. While the majority of hospitalized poisonings are classified as unintentional, notable increases were also shown for intentional overdoses associated with these drugs, most likely reflecting their widespread availability in community settings.

Next: Ten Common Medication Mistakes That Can Kill

and the only one who doesn't take prescription drugs. Hmm.

and don't buy most on the shelf drugs

How would single payer have prevented even a single one of the hillbilly heroin overdoses the article talks about?

when people have access to excellent health care, they do not need to find pain relief off the streets.
unfortunately, a lot of people do and make that mistake.
as for the poster who has no heart who responded to you, he is on ignore as of right now.

It just makes you die.

The article doesn't mention Viagra, because Viagra is not part of the problem, a fact made clear in the first part of the article:

"The rates of unintentional poisoning– from prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers in the U.S. has surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of unintentional injury death.

"Simply put, this means that poisoning from prescription drugs is now the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S."

I'm sure there are a few guys who take Viagra, drink booze, and get in a hot tub, however.

The basic gist of the thing is "people are getting high off prescription painkillers and it's dangerous to do so." I'd hate to see the amount of grant money we (through NIH or NIDA) paid to reach this incredibly obvious conclusion.

As long as someone in a white coat writes a permission slip, and someone else in a white coat fills that drug order, all is well with law and culture.

and making a point that there's a lot of issues in several areas when dealing with the abuse of prescription drugs of all types. Individuals who don't understand the instructions or just fail to follow dosage instructions. Pharmacists who are rushed and don't have time to explain proper usage to individuals. Doctors who don't bother to mention side effects or fail to take a good history to find out what other things a patient might be taking.

My girlfriends' overweight and otherwise in poor health brother-in-law is currently mixing prescription opioids and alcohol to "get the right mix" of painkilling for a ruptured disk...and I understand this is just the sort of dumbassary the article is talking about.

It's too hard.

My prior post, I mean.

When I was a kid we were supposed to be afraid of the crazy looking guy on the corner trying to sell you weed(like it is that easy to find)

Who are the drug pushers now? They want everyone on at least two prescriptions for life, possibly more for the side affects of the others. The younger they start you on them the better, which is why they are trying to get our youth on as many prescriptions as possible, talk about gateway drugs....

In general, it is estimated that 10% of the population has the disease of addiction. Nurses are equally as susceptible to alcoholism, but are at a higher risk for drug addiction. Some studies have indicated that it may be 50% higher than the general population. There are 60,000 nurses in Connecticut, 45,000 in active practice. Applying these statistics to the nursing community in our state means that 4,500-6,000 nurses are at risk for this disease.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3902/is_200203/ai_n9046754/

I wonder how many people die from drugged up nurses?

n/t

:sarcasm:

:kick: