It is time to face a long neglected issue that places many average Americans at high risk for addiction. An estimated 48 million Americans have abused prescription drugs and another 6 million are currently abusing prescription medications (Nor D. Volkow, M.D. Director National Institute on Drug Abuse). The U.S. Department of Health’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), reported that abuse of opioid painkillers has risen more than 400 percent over the last decade and it is now the second most popular way to get high in America. Prescription drug abuse is not a new problem, but one that deserves renewed attention. It is imperative that as a Nation we make ourselves aware of the consequences associated with the misuse and abuse of these medications. (Newsweek)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overdose deaths involving prescription drugs increased more than 200 percent from 2001 to 2007, and the number of treatment admissions for prescription opioids increased nearly 300 percent over the same time, according to the SAMHSA. In cities, the most common cause of drug-related deaths is opioids, including prescription drugs and their illegal sibling, heroin. Prescription drugs cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses each year, says Leonard Paulozzi of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Florida alone, 7 people die everyday from prescription overdoses. In addition, opioid painkiller overdoses have now for the first time in history surpassed car accident fatalies in most states and it is tied in others.

Not only are narcotic painkillers highly addictive and dangerous, they are also terrifyingly easy to obtain. Many times, patients begin taking a narcotic at the recommendation of a physician, then can easily access new prescriptions from that doctor and literally any other doctor in the area. Pharmacies and doctors frankly are just not too concerned with saying "no." Newsweek states - "The access is incredible with most doctors untrained in how to properly prescribe these pills.” Because prescription opioids such as OxyContin, Percocet, and morphine are chemical siblings to heroin, abusing these drugs often serves as a gateway to heroin itself and oftentimes turns a respectable middleclass citizen into a pill popping (sometimes heroin shooting) addict. Opioid abuse cuts across all socioeconomic levels and just about anybody can get their hands on it. There is no stereotype that can be placed on the demographics at risk for this type of addiction. If you have a pain issue - you are at risk. "The most at risk users are not simply low income teens, they are 35-65 year old middle class men and women (Time Magazine)."

Not only is our medical system fueling the narcotic addiction that is exploding in America, but our justice system seems to have their target on the wrong offender. Those that unknowingly slip into a prescribed narcotic addiction, can get slammed with felonies for "doctor shopping" and land themselves in jail or prison. If not jail time, the new found addict most likely will spend time in a treatment center or end up using another dangerous legal substance called Methodone to curb their cravings for the opioid that their doctor prescribed them...

Please tell legislators and doctors that Americans are not ok with legalized schedule II and schedule III narcotics accessible to our children and decent citizens. We are requesting and demanding an efficient way to control these medications so that additional innocent citizens do not end up locked up or suffering from extreme addiction. Controlled substances should be just that - controlled.