Rebekah Gruver
880282367
Dowd, K. E., & Silverman, S. M. (2008, February 6). Heath Ledger's Death was Accidental Overdose. In People. Retrieved September 30, 2010, from http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176284,00.html
The authors used information from medical examiners, police officers, and other medical professionals to inform their audience of what happened as a result in Heath Ledger’s death. They clarify that according to the medical examination, his death was an accident resulting from the abuse of prescription pills. A forensic pathologist informed the authors that the combination of powerful prescription drugs “poly-drug intoxication”, like Heath, will result slower breathing. There are ,any other people who experience this, yet in the article the blame is not put on the doctors. In their opinion, doctors are very unlikely to recommend or prescribe more than one powerful medication at a time if it were to interfere with a patients health. Although suicide was not the reason of his death,the abuse of his prescription medication’s were; meaning he took a higher dosage of what was required. Overall, prescription pill abuse is a popular problem among anyone. The significance of this issue is that doctors can only do so much to maintain your health, yet people are abusing the help they are able to receive and taking it to the next level.
McConville/The Pulse, C. (2010, September 30). Parents taking stand vs. prescription pill abuse. In Boston Herald. Retrieved September 30, 2010, from http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1279662
A group of parents gathered in the town of Brockton to discuss the issues rising on prescription pill abuse. Some of the parents experienced first hand what it was like to what their children become easily addicted to medications found around home. According to one mother, she’s seen teens become addiction to medicine found in cabinets at home, to more expensive heroine and $80 Oxycontin. The aritlce does state however that the DEA, for the first time, is hold a prescription drug collection burning all unused Vicodins, Percocets, and Klonopins. According to the DEA spokesman, “There is a pill for everything these days”. It is important that parents are realizing the risks of keeping prescription medications around their households. The DEA and other communities should pursue finding ways to help prevent or treat teens in becoming easily addicted.
Whittenberg, J., & KING 5 News. (2010, August 25). New Oxycotin pill made to be drug-abuser-proof. Retrieved October 3, 2010, from file:///G:/english1311/
New-Oxycontin-pill-made-to-be-drug-abuser-proof-101525433.html
According to the anchorman from King 5 news, there is a safer new version of Oxycontin being released. Aware of the growing number of drug abusers, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new pill. It is slowly being delivered to pharmacies around the country. The improvement of this medication has to do with the way the pill is taken. It was made to have a harder casing that is hard to crush and can only be used for ingestion. The main concern for abusing Oxycontin was that it was used a substitute for heroin having the same effects. For that reason, the new tablet was made to only be ingested. However police in the article bring up the factor of abusers turning back to heroin if Oxycontin is being handled differently. Therefore police have started conducting searched of heroin providers in the hopes of preventing abuse, while at the same time improving prescription medication. Both actions being taken are a big step in helping reduce the number of drug abusers.
Prescription Drug Dangers. (2009). Retrieved October 3, 2010, from Parents.The anti drug website: http://www.theantidrug.com/drug-information/otc-prescription-drug-abuse/prescription-drug-dangers/default.aspx
The article is simply listing the dangers of teens abusing over the counter drugs to get high. Among the list of prescription medications commonly abused are cough medicine, painkillers, sleeping pills, anti-depressants, and other medicine prescribed over the counter. Everyday a teen between the age of 12 and 17 abuse a pain reliever for the first time. Teenagers believe it is a safe way to get high just because they are “prescribed”. However, the dangers of them include paranoia, death, seizures, and heart failure. The numbers continue to rise in treatment admissions for prescription abusers. The numbers are getting higher yet there is no argument in standing up for improvement the distribution of these prescription medications.
