It's truly a shame to lose our young and older people to prescription drugs, painkillers and herion, it's hard to live once you know that theither life has been takenfrom something that could most definitely be prevented. It is the leading cause of death in America following motor accidents. And motor accidents could be from being intoxicated who knows but all I know is that alot of the doctors and nurses has to take more precautions on giving patients medicine. Today this day in age it has to start with our young ones because if it starts with out young ones who will be there in the futuee, NOBODY.!!LifeImagine789
I agree that it is a shame we are losing so many individuals to drugs. But I think that even if doctors were more strict on the drugs that it would make the person want to do the “drug” even more and if they want to have that drug they will find a way to get it no matter what they have to do for it. -Barcelona789
I feel for the young people whos minds have not been fully developed. So getting prescribed pills at such young age can take a toll on ones life if not used correctly. Too many times they are prescribed without much assessment. But even if they were to make it more strict, they would possibly push to acquire the pills on the streets. If not hooked on one thing, its another. Rugby123
Before you told us in class about drug overdose being the number one cause of death I would have guessed it was car accidents, because you hear more about those deaths. Reading this article and seeing the statistics of how many individuals have overdosed on heroin is insane and mind blowing. I feel like us Americans turn away when we talk about rehabilitation to those who have a drug problem. Most people believe that it costs too much money to treat an addict but in the long run it will save them money and could potentially save their lives as well. We need more than just DARE in grade school I think that programs about drugs in high school is more effective because thats when most students encounter it the most. We could stave lives if we had more programs to help people become aware of the nasty drugs out there. -Barcelona789
It has long been known that abuse of drugs whether prescription, or illegal, is a serious problem. One of the biggest problems with drugs is that people do not understand exactly how they affect the body and for how long. Some prescription drugs, such as fentanyl which was referenced in the article, can take up to six months for the body to completely lose its want and craving for that drug. That drug in itself as a painkiller is extremely addictive and takes months of waning off just to get the body to stop craving it and stop having withdrawal symptoms The reality is that an addict will never experience a “high” that they first received when abusing a drug, and because of that they will always crave more and more to get a similar high.. We need to educate our younger generations on how deadly and addictive these drugs can be. Everyone knows that drugs are bad for them and that they do harm to the body, whether they are prescribed or not, but they don’t know the extremes and extent that the body can be addicted to these drugs. CSI 789
I disagree with the statement you made about people not knowing the extremes and extents of addiction and harm that these drugs due to the body. I think that many and most people are aware of how terrible the drugs are but they think that "it'll never happen to me" or "I won't get addicted". I think that to start out, they are going into with a naive mindset and don't care about how the drug will hurt them because they are not planning on doing the drug more than once or a few times. -NavyAME789
This information just shows that the advancement in medicine comes with its pros and cons. It good to know that doctors are able to prevent certain health risk with the use of medicine but it's unfortunate to see the lack of sense of the common person. Because there is a pill for almost anything I feel that it's hard for doctors to not prescribe medication to patients but with how people treat the pills I think there should be a better regulation of medicine given. Instead of monthly prescriptions maybe we should switch to weekly or biweekly prescriptions to try and prevent the volume that is given out which could then cause a decrease in people selling and giving out their medication. The drug cartel stuff is pretty crazy to think about but I wouldn't be able to thin of a way to prevent that I think there will always be a way to smuggle drugs and people will continue to do so as long as it's making them money. -Acerunner789
This article points out the fact that prescription drugs are a much higher threat than any of the street drugs. The kickback that physicians receive from prescribing these drugs needs to be taken away. They are capitalizing on the fact that drug seekers will always try to get the scripts in anyway they can. Many times, people will go to multiple doctors just so that they can get more of the drug that they abuse. This doesn't take away from the fact that there are still many people who use street drugs that are killing them as well. Even though it is taboo, I'm glad that we are becoming more away of these issues and are providing the overdose pens, similar to epipens, so that we can try to respond more quickly to these potential deaths. -NavyAME789
According to he article, in 2002, prescription drug deaths exceeded the amount of deaths from cocaine and heroin deaths combine. The National Drug Threat Assessment found that an outrageous amount of deaths occur from the overuse of prescription drugs. I believe that in order to write a patient a prescription, there needs to be a longer process and more requirements. There needs to be background checks, multiple doctors inspecting the situation, and a limit on the amount of drugs prescribed. Doctors write patients prescriptions knowing that they will abuse it, but most doctors are only concerned with money. There needs to be more regulation on prescribing drugs to patients. -Eclipse456
I agree with you that we need to have a better process on when and if people can get prescription drugs. There are a lot of people that are abusing drugs and there needs to come an end. Like you stated maybe we should be doing checks to make sure that they are not abusing the drugs that they are about to recieve. Green789
I agree with you that the requirements and circumstances towards when you should be able to get and how you are able to get these prescription drugs should be reevaluated. However, going about doing this may become difficult when taking all of the average joes into consideration. Some people may have legitimately lost or misplaced their prescriptions. Sparks456
This article wasw stating that we have ahuge drug problem and it is on a rise for overdoeses and we have people that are abusing them. I liked this article because it was talking about more than one of the drugs that are affecting people's lives every day. We really should take the time and sit down and make sure that we do not have many friends and family that are abusing drugs and if they are we need to try and help them before it is too late. I really hope that since we are trying to improve on the rehab for alll the drugs that we can see a decrease in the additions that are running in our society today. Green789
It is sad that so many lives are taken by drugs and drug overdoses. So many of these drugs are so easy to get in todays society that it is ridiculous. Whos to blame? If you look at it in the perception of the doctors or the pharmacist who are dispersing these legal over the counter painkillers to the people with addictions who " lose their pills/prescription's four times a month" This is just one way that multiple people cheat the system and are able to supply themselves with these drugs. Also stated in the article that the Mexican drug cartel is a big contributor as to why these drugs are so easy to acquire. People with these addictions are not only hurting themselves they are also destroying their families as well as their communities. Sparks456
I do not believe that doctors are always to blame in situations like this. For example, I could call my doctor’s office and simply ask for a refill on my prescription over the phone and more than likely the nurse wouldn’t have a second thought over it. People need to realize exactly how many patients one physician deals with over a week to understand why they cannot keep track of everyone personally. Taggswag456
I agree it is not always the doctors fault. Most of the time it is not. Not all doctors are in it for the money. Doctors do have to see several patients a day and it is difficult for them to keep up with all of them. If a patient does keep coming back though and claims that he or she is losing her pills all of the time then the doctor should be suspicious.
Heroin is a very nasty drug. It could be considered the worst of the worst. In the article it stated that “In 2013, more than 46,000 people in the United States died from a drug overdose” and “a 51% increase between 2013 and 2014 in the number of current heroin users.” Meaning that if 100 people in a community in 2013 that in 2014 over 150 people were not using heroin. From those numbers I calculated that approximately 15,000 people likely died related to heroin use. That is just crazy to comprehend. That is half of the size of Pekin. The United Sates drastically needs to think of a plan to at least slow down heroin use. Taggswag456
I agree with you that the drug overdose rate is through the roof and needs to be handled in a different way that it has been. They need to look at different approaches to solving such problems like drug abuse. Putting up more rehabilitation centers in areas that could use them would be a great start. KLICK456
I agree with you on the drug overdose rate being shocking. We need to make those drugs harder to obtain. We also need to do the best we can to keep those drugs from entering the US because that would help heroin use greatly. Since a majority of the heroin comes from Mexico we need to make it harder for people to get these drugs from Mexico and it could be a small step toads helping people get over their addiction and help prevent so many overdoses. dragons456
It is sad that prescription drugs are killing so many people because these types of drugs are suppose to help you. The problem is that they are so easy to get. You can find them in your medicine cabinet. Even the non-prescription and OTC drugs are killing people. It is crazy to think that something as serious as heroin is killing as much as prescription drugs. There needs to be more emphasis on how dangerous prescription and OTC drugs can be. Programs like DARE need to add that into what they are teaching.
I agree that these medications are way to easy to get. The doctors need to make stricter policies on how many pills a person can have, and how many times a person can get them refilled. rose456
I'm so glad that you said something about "DARE" growing up as kids not to use drugs was so pushed on us, and with these kids growing up now they don't really have those programs anymore which is sad! -dicaprio456
According to this article, it shows the rise in prescription drug overdoses in 2002. I think the cause of that was how the people seem uneducated on what they were putting into their systems. As well as doctors so easily distributing "lost pills" or replacing them without much arguement. Pills can be lost yea, but when it occurs 3 or 4 times in a month, something must be up. This can relate to them becoming pill dealers as well. I do not believe in pill consumption myself as I do not believe they want to help you, they want to create customers. Too many times I have seen people get diagnosed with depression after a 5-minute assessment and get addicted to pills which are prescribed to them. But not all the blame should be stamped on them, as pills can be easily found on the streets as the article stated that the mexican cartel is a key contributor to these addictions. More education around more "at-risk" locations should be put in. Much larger than d.a.r.e. D.A.R.E never had us really have any hands on or visual to see real side affects of drugs. I feel like if kids saw a rehabilitation center and had actual speakers of victims, then it might "scare" them away even more. Rugby123
This article shows that they are finally realizing that prescription drugs are killing more people than any other highly addicting substance. These drugs are being pushed right out of out doctors offices and is really damaging society. Also I feel like the requirements that are set to get ahold of these drugs are a little too lenient. These prescribers need to start making these drugs harder to reach and maybe the problem will decrease. KLICK456
I agree with you. Prescription drugs are killing more people than anything. Drugs,guns are really damaging society. People need to grow up and know what they are doing to our Community. I just wish they had a strong set of people to stop these drugs for even getting into people hands that don't need them. This world would be a lot better if these things was not on earth. Keya123
I think what this article is trying to explain is that prescription drugs really can and do kill people. Pills are one of the most addicting and dangerous drugs you could use. The doctors that give out these medications need to make much stricter rules, because who needs to refill their medications 4+ time a month? That just doesn't happen. If the make it harder to get these medications, the problem may be reduced. rose456
This article want people to know that drugs can be very dangerous.Since 2002, preseiption drug deaths have out placed those of cocaine and heroin combined. I feel as people need to reach out to young children because for one they growing up and don't no better. Drugs such as cocaine and all the other drugs is bad. People abuse drugs so much, to me it is destroying families and communities. Keya123
Yes, we need to implement help to these kids. Many families are torn apart by drugs, and this leads down a road to failure. We need to help cocaine users, and not just institutionalize them. BenRoethlisberger123
It's shocking to see how much heroin use has gone up and how many people are being affected by prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are starting to become peoples drug of choice due to how easy they are to get. The article said since 2002, prescription drug deaths have outpaced those of cocaine and heroin combined. Due to how much easier prescription drugs are to get death for overdose on prescription drugs will only rise. The article also said that drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States. You would think the murders or vehicle accidents would be the leading cause but due to drugs being easier to get access to now overdoes have become the leading cause. The numbers on drug overdose and the type of drug that causes the most overdose death are shocking. If we could help people with drug problems and make prescription drugs harder to get access to we could save a lot of lives. dragons456
I agree that it is terrible that the amount of people dying of overdoses is this high, I would rather have overdoses be the biggest killer than murder. If murder was the biggest kill than there would be a lot of killers and violent people running around. Since overdoses are the biggest killer, these people are only hurting themselves. They need help and should be put in a rehabilitation facility, for their own good.
It's so sad to know how many people are dying from drug overdoses. Prescription drugs though I can say are so easy to get ahold of, but I do know they are making it harder for people to get them. Pharmacies now do a state wide search on your name and by birthday to see if you have gotten any other narcotic prescriptions filled any where else by any doctor or hospital, but even that isn't helping. In the article it states that drug OD's are the leading cause of death in the United States, thats so hard to believe. But in our day and age its so easy to come into contact with harder drugs. We are always going to have a drug problem in the United States, drugs are always going to make their way into the US. Drugs are destroying families, I know that from personal experience. I have lost friends and family to drug addictions, but i know if some people could get the help they would take it. -dicaprio456
I agree to you when you say that it is very sad when people die of drug overdoses. Instead of putting these harmless people in jail we could easily be using that place for other criminals. That co mite murders and other acts of violence such as that. bodybuilder456
I think it would make a great world of difference if we treated drug abusers differently. Instead of just throwing them in jail why don't we just make rehab places for them to go to. That would save us so much money all together. If they would just do that instead of using the jail for harmless criminals then this world would be a better place. Bodybuilder456
It is true to say that giving a drug abuser the chance of rehabilitating himself instead of throwing him/her in a sell is cheaper. Its proven that it lowers the chances of them becoming recidivist or even from doing the drug again. Not always 100% but still would produce a better outcome than taking for example a pot head to jail or prison depending on the circumstances. wreked123
The amount of people dying from drug overdoses is astonishing. I understand why prescription drug deaths would be so high now. Every doctor out there just signs away prescriptions to people. People see prescription drugs and think they are safe, because they are from a doctor. In Vancouver, Canada they have safe injection rooms call InSite. In these injection rooms users can come in and safely do heroin. They claim this is safer for the users as here they can use safe needles provided to them, if the do overdose, there are medical professionals watching, and they are in a controlled environment. They claim these injection sites will be good to weed people off the substance.
Seeing as since 2013 vehicle and misuse of firearms was the leading cause of deaths in the United States. And now drug overdose is the main cause of deaths, Rosenberg idea of reaching out to the youth younger is not a terrible idea but I think re thinking how we approach introducing drugs to kids would be a better idea. Going from middle school to grade school to give kids a dare program would just prove to be unsuccessful since it already had proven itself to make the situation worse later down the road for the kids in the program. wreked123
I know of someone who died recently to a heroin overdose. It is absolutely heartbreaking, and leaves all of us asking questions. We need to do a better job when rehab takes place, and we should make all drugs this way. The bottom line is people need help, and we need to remember that we all make mistakes. It is a different situation if you sell the drugs, but the users should be given more grace. We need to implement a program that can truly help these addicts, and not just shell them off to jail like we did with the crack addicts. BenRoethlisberger123
I know what it is like to loose someone to a drug. It really is heartbreaking. I agree that people need help. They need a special kind of help that going to a rehab facility is not going to do it. My family member that died went to rehab many times, but they never worked. If they keep going back into the community or even the house that they were in before, it isn't going to help. FBI123
It is sad to me that the biggest killer was the drugs that people are using. It also makes me upset when I hear that it is killing more than automobile accidents and gun violence. Today, gun rights are a very debatable topic and very prevalent. But why are we trying to focus on gun violence when that isn't what it killing people the most. We need to focus on getting people the proper help that they need instead of just locking people up for crimes that involve drugs. We also need to look into the problem with prescription pills being distributed. If the deaths from prescription pills is higher than heroin and cocaine combined, why are we not targeting those distributing it more than we are the pursuing those selling weed. The prescription drugs are coming from sources that we are not used to dealing with and they need to know that we are on to them. If we could cut down the number of deaths from pills and other drugs than we could make a very large impact on lowering the number of deaths in the U.S. Broncos456
I never though that drug over dose would be the leading cause of death. I thought that is was motor crashes. Working in health care, I personally do not see as many overdoses, but more withdraws. I think that it would be a good idea to reach out to the young kids, but then again, if you look at the D.A.R.E. program, it really did not work. With the DARE program, it let the kids know what it was. Yes, it did tell them that it was horrible, but some of the kids never even knew what it was. I think that the DARE program should be started in high school or in 8th grade. I believe that would help. FBI123
I agree with the program. I think the program should also do a better job of painting a real picture of what drugs can do. In grade school we can't be exposed to the reality of drug abuse. We should be able to see it in middle school though. Cowboy123
I think the reason the DARE program was ineffective was because it was not taken seriously. When I was a child, we would treat it as a joke as a police officer came around and handed us a stuffed lion wearing a "DARE" shirt to hold for the day. The effects of drugs should be taught to children starting from preschool. The younger we start teaching, the more they learn and are educated on the harms of drugs.
It's scary knowing that these drugs are available so easily these days. It's anywhere in the country too. Opiates are cheap thus making kids more likely to them. I think schools should do a better job making kids more aware of what they are putting in themselves. The problem is that kids don't see drugs as having bad individual traits. For example, marijuana is not nearly as bad for you as heroin. However, when we were younger the only thing we took away from drug education was "all drugs are bad". Until someone starts using minor drugs like marijuana. Then all the other drugs might not seem so bad after all when in reality they are. Cowboy123
It's sad to discover that the leading cause of death now is one of the most easily preventable problems. Substance abuse can be easily avoided, but once it is in full act, is hard to treat, for it takes an incredible amount of resilience. After experiencing 6 or more relapses, the patient is predicted to finally succeed at life without drugs. This is a reason why drugs are such a problem. After you become involved with them, it is difficult to live life or even function at all without them. The only way these problems can be solved is if we give them the rehabilitation that they deserve. Locking those who commit petty drug crimes up is counterproductive and teaches them absolutely nothing. If we catch a teenager with an ounce of weed, locking him up is not the right answer. If he is given treatment when he is barely at a gateway drug, then it is less likely that he will become a hardcore drug abuser as an adult. Rehabilitation is more effective than incarceration.
Just by vaguely skimming over the article, you can tell that some change will take place due to the recurring drug issues. Some might suggest locking up everyone associated with drugs if they are caught. However, our prison population is over the roof. Thirty years ago, the same ordeal happened with crack and cocaine. Instead of judges sentencing drug related offenders to prison time, if the crime is non violent, I believe they should place the offender on probation with required rehabilitation and treatment. This will help address the issue with occurring overdoses and overpopulation in local jails and prisons(Not to mention, it’s cheaper). Another topic that can be discussed would be pain killers and controlled substances. Have you ever thought of what happens when someone loses their pills? Some doctors may write up another prescription and others may turn them down, but for the ones who rewrite it, what are their patients doing with the pills? Did they really lose them or have they been taking them regularly like prescribed? Maybe it is time to discuss the real issue here: the DR. Further along in the article it states that most of the drugs that come into the United States are mainly from surrounding countries. It might be beneficial if there were stricter border and airport searches. In this world today, the drug horizon is widening, but if we continue to place offenders in jail over a petty drug crime, imagine how much money is being wasted. KayaJ456
Rehabilitation is the key to help drug users get off the substance they are on. It is sad to see that harmful drugs are easy to access and now people are unsure who even uses drugs anymore because it is very common among many different races. Locking drug users up will not do them justice because once they get back on the street they will most likely just start using again. This is why i believe there should be more rehabilitation centers around that can help these users become free of the harmful product they are using. bball456
Rehabilitation is the key to help drug users get off the substance they are on. It is sad to see that harmful drugs are easy to access and now people are unsure who even uses drugs anymore because it is very common among many different races. Locking drug users up will not do them justice because once they get back on the street they will most likely just start using again. This is why i believe there should be more rehabilitation centers around that can help these users become free of the harmful product they are using. bball456
It's truly a shame to lose our young and older people to prescription drugs, painkillers and herion, it's hard to live once you know that theither life has been takenfrom something that could most definitely be prevented. It is the leading cause of death in America following motor accidents. And motor accidents could be from being intoxicated who knows but all I know is that alot of the doctors and nurses has to take more precautions on giving patients medicine. Today this day in age it has to start with our young ones because if it starts with out young ones who will be there in the futuee, NOBODY.!!LifeImagine789
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is a shame we are losing so many individuals to drugs. But I think that even if doctors were more strict on the drugs that it would make the person want to do the “drug” even more and if they want to have that drug they will find a way to get it no matter what they have to do for it. -Barcelona789
DeleteI feel for the young people whos minds have not been fully developed. So getting prescribed pills at such young age can take a toll on ones life if not used correctly. Too many times they are prescribed without much assessment. But even if they were to make it more strict, they would possibly push to acquire the pills on the streets. If not hooked on one thing, its another.
DeleteRugby123
Before you told us in class about drug overdose being the number one cause of death I would have guessed it was car accidents, because you hear more about those deaths. Reading this article and seeing the statistics of how many individuals have overdosed on heroin is insane and mind blowing. I feel like us Americans turn away when we talk about rehabilitation to those who have a drug problem. Most people believe that it costs too much money to treat an addict but in the long run it will save them money and could potentially save their lives as well. We need more than just DARE in grade school I think that programs about drugs in high school is more effective because thats when most students encounter it the most. We could stave lives if we had more programs to help people become aware of the nasty drugs out there.
ReplyDelete-Barcelona789
It has long been known that abuse of drugs whether prescription, or illegal, is a serious problem. One of the biggest problems with drugs is that people do not understand exactly how they affect the body and for how long. Some prescription drugs, such as fentanyl which was referenced in the article, can take up to six months for the body to completely lose its want and craving for that drug. That drug in itself as a painkiller is extremely addictive and takes months of waning off just to get the body to stop craving it and stop having withdrawal symptoms The reality is that an addict will never experience a “high” that they first received when abusing a drug, and because of that they will always crave more and more to get a similar high.. We need to educate our younger generations on how deadly and addictive these drugs can be. Everyone knows that drugs are bad for them and that they do harm to the body, whether they are prescribed or not, but they don’t know the extremes and extent that the body can be addicted to these drugs. CSI 789
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the statement you made about people not knowing the extremes and extents of addiction and harm that these drugs due to the body. I think that many and most people are aware of how terrible the drugs are but they think that "it'll never happen to me" or "I won't get addicted". I think that to start out, they are going into with a naive mindset and don't care about how the drug will hurt them because they are not planning on doing the drug more than once or a few times. -NavyAME789
DeleteThis information just shows that the advancement in medicine comes with its pros and cons. It good to know that doctors are able to prevent certain health risk with the use of medicine but it's unfortunate to see the lack of sense of the common person. Because there is a pill for almost anything I feel that it's hard for doctors to not prescribe medication to patients but with how people treat the pills I think there should be a better regulation of medicine given. Instead of monthly prescriptions maybe we should switch to weekly or biweekly prescriptions to try and prevent the volume that is given out which could then cause a decrease in people selling and giving out their medication. The drug cartel stuff is pretty crazy to think about but I wouldn't be able to thin of a way to prevent that I think there will always be a way to smuggle drugs and people will continue to do so as long as it's making them money. -Acerunner789
ReplyDeleteThis article points out the fact that prescription drugs are a much higher threat than any of the street drugs. The kickback that physicians receive from prescribing these drugs needs to be taken away. They are capitalizing on the fact that drug seekers will always try to get the scripts in anyway they can. Many times, people will go to multiple doctors just so that they can get more of the drug that they abuse. This doesn't take away from the fact that there are still many people who use street drugs that are killing them as well. Even though it is taboo, I'm glad that we are becoming more away of these issues and are providing the overdose pens, similar to epipens, so that we can try to respond more quickly to these potential deaths. -NavyAME789
ReplyDeleteAccording to he article, in 2002, prescription drug deaths exceeded the amount of deaths from cocaine and heroin deaths combine. The National Drug Threat Assessment found that an outrageous amount of deaths occur from the overuse of prescription drugs. I believe that in order to write a patient a prescription, there needs to be a longer process and more requirements. There needs to be background checks, multiple doctors inspecting the situation, and a limit on the amount of drugs prescribed. Doctors write patients prescriptions knowing that they will abuse it, but most doctors are only concerned with money. There needs to be more regulation on prescribing drugs to patients. -Eclipse456
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that we need to have a better process on when and if people can get prescription drugs. There are a lot of people that are abusing drugs and there needs to come an end. Like you stated maybe we should be doing checks to make sure that they are not abusing the drugs that they are about to recieve. Green789
DeleteI agree with you that the requirements and circumstances towards when you should be able to get and how you are able to get these prescription drugs should be reevaluated. However, going about doing this may become difficult when taking all of the average joes into consideration. Some people may have legitimately lost or misplaced their prescriptions. Sparks456
DeleteThis article wasw stating that we have ahuge drug problem and it is on a rise for overdoeses and we have people that are abusing them. I liked this article because it was talking about more than one of the drugs that are affecting people's lives every day. We really should take the time and sit down and make sure that we do not have many friends and family that are abusing drugs and if they are we need to try and help them before it is too late. I really hope that since we are trying to improve on the rehab for alll the drugs that we can see a decrease in the additions that are running in our society today. Green789
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that so many lives are taken by drugs and drug overdoses. So many of these drugs are so easy to get in todays society that it is ridiculous. Whos to blame? If you look at it in the perception of the doctors or the pharmacist who are dispersing these legal over the counter painkillers to the people with addictions who " lose their pills/prescription's four times a month" This is just one way that multiple people cheat the system and are able to supply themselves with these drugs. Also stated in the article that the Mexican drug cartel is a big contributor as to why these drugs are so easy to acquire. People with these addictions are not only hurting themselves they are also destroying their families as well as their communities. Sparks456
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that doctors are always to blame in situations like this. For example, I could call my doctor’s office and simply ask for a refill on my prescription over the phone and more than likely the nurse wouldn’t have a second thought over it. People need to realize exactly how many patients one physician deals with over a week to understand why they cannot keep track of everyone personally. Taggswag456
DeleteI agree it is not always the doctors fault. Most of the time it is not. Not all doctors are in it for the money. Doctors do have to see several patients a day and it is difficult for them to keep up with all of them. If a patient does keep coming back though and claims that he or she is losing her pills all of the time then the doctor should be suspicious.
DeleteGodFieri456
Heroin is a very nasty drug. It could be considered the worst of the worst. In the article it stated that “In 2013, more than 46,000 people in the United States died from a drug overdose” and “a 51% increase between 2013 and 2014 in the number of current heroin users.” Meaning that if 100 people in a community in 2013 that in 2014 over 150 people were not using heroin. From those numbers I calculated that approximately 15,000 people likely died related to heroin use. That is just crazy to comprehend. That is half of the size of Pekin. The United Sates drastically needs to think of a plan to at least slow down heroin use. Taggswag456
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the drug overdose rate is through the roof and needs to be handled in a different way that it has been. They need to look at different approaches to solving such problems like drug abuse. Putting up more rehabilitation centers in areas that could use them would be a great start.
DeleteKLICK456
I agree with you on the drug overdose rate being shocking. We need to make those drugs harder to obtain. We also need to do the best we can to keep those drugs from entering the US because that would help heroin use greatly. Since a majority of the heroin comes from Mexico we need to make it harder for people to get these drugs from Mexico and it could be a small step toads helping people get over their addiction and help prevent so many overdoses. dragons456
DeleteIt is sad that prescription drugs are killing so many people because these types of drugs are suppose to help you. The problem is that they are so easy to get. You can find them in your medicine cabinet. Even the non-prescription and OTC drugs are killing people. It is crazy to think that something as serious as heroin is killing as much as prescription drugs. There needs to be more emphasis on how dangerous prescription and OTC drugs can be. Programs like DARE need to add that into what they are teaching.
ReplyDeleteGodFieri456
I agree that these medications are way to easy to get. The doctors need to make stricter policies on how many pills a person can have, and how many times a person can get them refilled.
Deleterose456
I'm so glad that you said something about "DARE" growing up as kids not to use drugs was so pushed on us, and with these kids growing up now they don't really have those programs anymore which is sad! -dicaprio456
DeleteAccording to this article, it shows the rise in prescription drug overdoses in 2002. I think the cause of that was how the people seem uneducated on what they were putting into their systems. As well as doctors so easily distributing "lost pills" or replacing them without much arguement. Pills can be lost yea, but when it occurs 3 or 4 times in a month, something must be up. This can relate to them becoming pill dealers as well. I do not believe in pill consumption myself as I do not believe they want to help you, they want to create customers. Too many times I have seen people get diagnosed with depression after a 5-minute assessment and get addicted to pills which are prescribed to them. But not all the blame should be stamped on them, as pills can be easily found on the streets as the article stated that the mexican cartel is a key contributor to these addictions. More education around more "at-risk" locations should be put in. Much larger than d.a.r.e. D.A.R.E never had us really have any hands on or visual to see real side affects of drugs. I feel like if kids saw a rehabilitation center and had actual speakers of victims, then it might "scare" them away even more.
ReplyDeleteRugby123
This article shows that they are finally realizing that prescription drugs are killing more people than any other highly addicting substance. These drugs are being pushed right out of out doctors offices and is really damaging society. Also I feel like the requirements that are set to get ahold of these drugs are a little too lenient. These prescribers need to start making these drugs harder to reach and maybe the problem will decrease.
ReplyDeleteKLICK456
I agree with you. Prescription drugs are killing more people than anything. Drugs,guns are really damaging society. People need to grow up and know what they are doing to our Community. I just wish they had a strong set of people to stop these drugs for even getting into people hands that don't need them. This world would be a lot better if these things was not on earth. Keya123
DeleteI think what this article is trying to explain is that prescription drugs really can and do kill people. Pills are one of the most addicting and dangerous drugs you could use. The doctors that give out these medications need to make much stricter rules, because who needs to refill their medications 4+ time a month? That just doesn't happen. If the make it harder to get these medications, the problem may be reduced.
ReplyDeleterose456
This article want people to know that drugs can be very dangerous.Since 2002, preseiption drug deaths have out placed those of cocaine and heroin combined. I feel as people need to reach out to young children because for one they growing up and don't no better. Drugs such as cocaine and all the other drugs is bad. People abuse drugs so much, to me it is destroying families and communities. Keya123
ReplyDeleteYes, we need to implement help to these kids. Many families are torn apart by drugs, and this leads down a road to failure. We need to help cocaine users, and not just institutionalize them.
DeleteBenRoethlisberger123
It's shocking to see how much heroin use has gone up and how many people are being affected by prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are starting to become peoples drug of choice due to how easy they are to get. The article said since 2002, prescription drug deaths have outpaced those of cocaine and heroin combined. Due to how much easier prescription drugs are to get death for overdose on prescription drugs will only rise. The article also said that drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States. You would think the murders or vehicle accidents would be the leading cause but due to drugs being easier to get access to now overdoes have become the leading cause. The numbers on drug overdose and the type of drug that causes the most overdose death are shocking. If we could help people with drug problems and make prescription drugs harder to get access to we could save a lot of lives. dragons456
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is terrible that the amount of people dying of overdoses is this high, I would rather have overdoses be the biggest killer than murder. If murder was the biggest kill than there would be a lot of killers and violent people running around. Since overdoses are the biggest killer, these people are only hurting themselves. They need help and should be put in a rehabilitation facility, for their own good.
Deleteearthquake 456
It's so sad to know how many people are dying from drug overdoses. Prescription drugs though I can say are so easy to get ahold of, but I do know they are making it harder for people to get them. Pharmacies now do a state wide search on your name and by birthday to see if you have gotten any other narcotic prescriptions filled any where else by any doctor or hospital, but even that isn't helping. In the article it states that drug OD's are the leading cause of death in the United States, thats so hard to believe. But in our day and age its so easy to come into contact with harder drugs. We are always going to have a drug problem in the United States, drugs are always going to make their way into the US. Drugs are destroying families, I know that from personal experience. I have lost friends and family to drug addictions, but i know if some people could get the help they would take it. -dicaprio456
ReplyDeleteI agree to you when you say that it is very sad when people die of drug overdoses. Instead of putting these harmless people in jail we could easily be using that place for other criminals. That co mite murders and other acts of violence such as that. bodybuilder456
DeleteI think it would make a great world of difference if we treated drug abusers differently. Instead of just throwing them in jail why don't we just make rehab places for them to go to. That would save us so much money all together. If they would just do that instead of using the jail for harmless criminals then this world would be a better place. Bodybuilder456
ReplyDeleteIt is true to say that giving a drug abuser the chance of rehabilitating himself instead of throwing him/her in a sell is cheaper. Its proven that it lowers the chances of them becoming recidivist or even from doing the drug again. Not always 100% but still would produce a better outcome than taking for example a pot head to jail or prison depending on the circumstances.
Deletewreked123
The amount of people dying from drug overdoses is astonishing. I understand why prescription drug deaths would be so high now. Every doctor out there just signs away prescriptions to people. People see prescription drugs and think they are safe, because they are from a doctor. In Vancouver, Canada they have safe injection rooms call InSite. In these injection rooms users can come in and safely do heroin. They claim this is safer for the users as here they can use safe needles provided to them, if the do overdose, there are medical professionals watching, and they are in a controlled environment. They claim these injection sites will be good to weed people off the substance.
ReplyDeleteearthquake 456
Seeing as since 2013 vehicle and misuse of firearms was the leading cause of deaths in the United States. And now drug overdose is the main cause of deaths, Rosenberg idea of reaching out to the youth younger is not a terrible idea but I think re thinking how we approach introducing drugs to kids would be a better idea. Going from middle school to grade school to give kids a dare program would just prove to be unsuccessful since it already had proven itself to make the situation worse later down the road for the kids in the program.
ReplyDeletewreked123
I know of someone who died recently to a heroin overdose. It is absolutely heartbreaking, and leaves all of us asking questions. We need to do a better job when rehab takes place, and we should make all drugs this way. The bottom line is people need help, and we need to remember that we all make mistakes. It is a different situation if you sell the drugs, but the users should be given more grace. We need to implement a program that can truly help these addicts, and not just shell them off to jail like we did with the crack addicts.
ReplyDeleteBenRoethlisberger123
I know what it is like to loose someone to a drug. It really is heartbreaking. I agree that people need help. They need a special kind of help that going to a rehab facility is not going to do it. My family member that died went to rehab many times, but they never worked. If they keep going back into the community or even the house that they were in before, it isn't going to help.
DeleteFBI123
It is sad to me that the biggest killer was the drugs that people are using. It also makes me upset when I hear that it is killing more than automobile accidents and gun violence. Today, gun rights are a very debatable topic and very prevalent. But why are we trying to focus on gun violence when that isn't what it killing people the most. We need to focus on getting people the proper help that they need instead of just locking people up for crimes that involve drugs. We also need to look into the problem with prescription pills being distributed. If the deaths from prescription pills is higher than heroin and cocaine combined, why are we not targeting those distributing it more than we are the pursuing those selling weed. The prescription drugs are coming from sources that we are not used to dealing with and they need to know that we are on to them. If we could cut down the number of deaths from pills and other drugs than we could make a very large impact on lowering the number of deaths in the U.S. Broncos456
ReplyDeleteI never though that drug over dose would be the leading cause of death. I thought that is was motor crashes. Working in health care, I personally do not see as many overdoses, but more withdraws. I think that it would be a good idea to reach out to the young kids, but then again, if you look at the D.A.R.E. program, it really did not work. With the DARE program, it let the kids know what it was. Yes, it did tell them that it was horrible, but some of the kids never even knew what it was. I think that the DARE program should be started in high school or in 8th grade. I believe that would help.
ReplyDeleteFBI123
I agree with the program. I think the program should also do a better job of painting a real picture of what drugs can do. In grade school we can't be exposed to the reality of drug abuse. We should be able to see it in middle school though. Cowboy123
DeleteI think the reason the DARE program was ineffective was because it was not taken seriously. When I was a child, we would treat it as a joke as a police officer came around and handed us a stuffed lion wearing a "DARE" shirt to hold for the day. The effects of drugs should be taught to children starting from preschool. The younger we start teaching, the more they learn and are educated on the harms of drugs.
DeleteOldHollywood456
There are some children who have already been avid drug users by 8th grade. If we teach it to kids who are already using, then what use will that do?
DeleteOldHollywood456
It's scary knowing that these drugs are available so easily these days. It's anywhere in the country too. Opiates are cheap thus making kids more likely to them. I think schools should do a better job making kids more aware of what they are putting in themselves. The problem is that kids don't see drugs as having bad individual traits. For example, marijuana is not nearly as bad for you as heroin. However, when we were younger the only thing we took away from drug education was "all drugs are bad". Until someone starts using minor drugs like marijuana. Then all the other drugs might not seem so bad after all when in reality they are. Cowboy123
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to discover that the leading cause of death now is one of the most easily preventable problems. Substance abuse can be easily avoided, but once it is in full act, is hard to treat, for it takes an incredible amount of resilience. After experiencing 6 or more relapses, the patient is predicted to finally succeed at life without drugs. This is a reason why drugs are such a problem. After you become involved with them, it is difficult to live life or even function at all without them. The only way these problems can be solved is if we give them the rehabilitation that they deserve. Locking those who commit petty drug crimes up is counterproductive and teaches them absolutely nothing. If we catch a teenager with an ounce of weed, locking him up is not the right answer. If he is given treatment when he is barely at a gateway drug, then it is less likely that he will become a hardcore drug abuser as an adult. Rehabilitation is more effective than incarceration.
ReplyDeleteOldHollywood456
Just by vaguely skimming over the article, you can tell that some change will take place due to the recurring drug issues. Some might suggest locking up everyone associated with drugs if they are caught. However, our prison population is over the roof. Thirty years ago, the same ordeal happened with crack and cocaine. Instead of judges sentencing drug related offenders to prison time, if the crime is non violent, I believe they should place the offender on probation with required rehabilitation and treatment. This will help address the issue with occurring overdoses and overpopulation in local jails and prisons(Not to mention, it’s cheaper). Another topic that can be discussed would be pain killers and controlled substances. Have you ever thought of what happens when someone loses their pills? Some doctors may write up another prescription and others may turn them down, but for the ones who rewrite it, what are their patients doing with the pills? Did they really lose them or have they been taking them regularly like prescribed? Maybe it is time to discuss the real issue here: the DR. Further along in the article it states that most of the drugs that come into the United States are mainly from surrounding countries. It might be beneficial if there were stricter border and airport searches. In this world today, the drug horizon is widening, but if we continue to place offenders in jail over a petty drug crime, imagine how much money is being wasted. KayaJ456
ReplyDeleteRehabilitation is the key to help drug users get off the substance they are on. It is sad to see that harmful drugs are easy to access and now people are unsure who even uses drugs anymore because it is very common among many different races. Locking drug users up will not do them justice because once they get back on the street they will most likely just start using again. This is why i believe there should be more rehabilitation centers around that can help these users become free of the harmful product they are using.
ReplyDeletebball456
Rehabilitation is the key to help drug users get off the substance they are on. It is sad to see that harmful drugs are easy to access and now people are unsure who even uses drugs anymore because it is very common among many different races. Locking drug users up will not do them justice because once they get back on the street they will most likely just start using again. This is why i believe there should be more rehabilitation centers around that can help these users become free of the harmful product they are using.
ReplyDeletebball456