Outline: I. Introduction Thesis Statement: Many Americans are prescribed pharmaceuticals without knowing the harmful and detrimental effects they cause. The truth behind it is they are being abused, lead to addiction, and kill more people than illegal drugs. America needs to wake up before being prescribed death.
II. Top 2 Abused Prescription Drugs in The U. S. A Adderall (Methamphetamines) Oxycodeone (Opiates) III. Use of Prescription Drugs Use of Adderall Physiological Effects Use of Oxycodone Physiological Effects IV. Health Adderall Mental Effects Physical Effects Hydrocodone Mental Effects Physical Effects V. Conclusion:
America has come to know and love these top two abused prescriptions. Even though they cause long term health issues and even death when pushed to the limit. Abusing these drugs is not a smart and safe choice. I think it’s time to break America’s debt to prescription pills. Works Cited (NIH)
http://www. drugabuse. gov/publications/research-reports/prescription-drugs/opioids/how-do-opioids-affect-brain-body (NIH) Listed Resources Baillargeon, L. ; Landreville, P. ; Verreault, R. ; Beauchemin, J. -P. ; Gregoire, J. -P. ; and Morin, C. M. Discontinuation of benzodiazepines among older insomniac adults treated with Cotto, J. H. ; Davis, E.
; Dowling, G. J. ; Elcano, J. C. ; Staton, A. B. ; Weiss, S. R. B. Gender effects on drug use, abuse, and dependence: An analysis of results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Gend Med 7(5):402? 413, 2010. Lord, S. ; Brevard, J. ; and Budman, S. Connecting to Young Adults: An Online Social Network Survey of Beliefs and Attitudes Associated With Prescription Opioid Misuse Among College Students. Substance Use Misuse 46:66? 76, 2011. Svetlov, S. I. ; Kobeissy, F. H. ; and Gold, M. S. Performance enhancing, non-prescription use of Ritalin: A comparison with amphetamines and cocaine. J Addict Dis 26(4):1? 6, 2007. Admin, .
“Adderall vs. Ritalin. ” Adderall vs. Ritalin. Healthandlifestuff. com. , 21 Aug 2009. Web. 21 May 2013. Csy, T. Z (1979). “Cutting’s handbook of pharmacology. ” The actions and uses of drugs, 6th ed. New York: Appleton-Century Crofts. Svetlov, S. I. ; Kobeissy, F. H. ; and Gold, M. S. Performance enhancing, non-prescription use of Ritalin: A comparison with amphetamines and cocaine. J Addict Dis 26(4):1? 6, 2007. Retana 2 Prescription Drugs: America’s Addiction If one day you encountered a severe back injury, and you are experiencing the worst pain you ever felt.
The next thing you know you’re in a hospital, and the first thing the doctor does is prescribe you medicine. It seems you have been professionally cared for and the medicine is going to make everything better, but what type of medicine is it? Millions of prescriptions are filled out everyday by doctors to patients, but do the patients know what they are putting into their bodies?
America has a drug problem. Prescription pills cause more deaths than any other illegal drugs combined in America. I think it’s time for America to wake up and start noticing the harmful effects that can occur when abusing prescription drugs. The top two abused prescription drugs are Adderall and Oxycodone.
Adderall was made for and prescribed to ADHD patients because it helps counteract their disorder and helps stimulate their brain to function properly (Admin). The chemicals that are found in Adderall can range from methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine (Admin). The chemical methylphenidate a relative to that street drug known as “Meth” and America’s favorite drug “Caffeine” effects the brain by blocking dopamine from entering the brain therefore creating a more focus and mentally agile effect that stimulates the user (Admin). Besides the use for ADHD, people are prescribed it as a weight loss supplement (Admin. )
Oxycodone is a drug that doctors prescribe for back pain, or injuries, basically pain. Basically what the brain does when the drug enter the blood stream is they connect to the opioid receptors. What then happens is the brains releases chemical messages to the brain telling the nerve endings that feel pain to subside. Thus giving the user a numb feeling (NIH). The harmful side effects that occur are high blood pressure, psychosis, nervousness, mood swings, insomnia, and physical dependency (Admin). Also including weight loss, and an overall wasted look.
The negative effects of Hydrocodone consist of Nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, and hypotension (Rodney). Long term effects are liver disease, dependency and ultimately death if over dosed (Rodney). One way uses try to achieve the high faster is by snorting it like cocaine, by doing this the user is more likely to overdose because the dose is more concentrated (NIH).
America has come to know and love these top two abused prescriptions. Even though they cause long term health issues and sometimes even death when pushed to the limit. Abusing these drugs is not a smart and safe choice. I think it’s time to break America’s addiction to prescription pills.