Prescription drugs can be hazardous to your health, and many are seriously addictive and can even kill.

However, a recent study in Florida, drug-related deaths in Florida reveals that far more people suddenly fall victim to lethal drug combinations – called polydrug abuse – that each drug, and can occur at the recreational users, as well as those trapped by addiction to prescription drugs.

It is common knowledge that addiction to prescription drugs has become a national nightmare.

However, the sudden death of prescription drugs is the subject of the news every day. The Florida study, an analysis of the 168,900 deaths in 2007 by the Medical Examiners Commission, Florida, found that deaths from prescription drugs are three times the rate of deaths caused by traditional illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.

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As almost any kind of prescription drug has the potential of being abused, you may be wondering why some drugs are more prone to being abused than others. Oxycontin ranks amongst the highest in prescription drugs that are in this category.

There are a number of reasons why Oxycontin ranks so high. First, Oxycontin is an opiate. This semi-synthetic form of opiate is one of the most powerful pain medications available. Its Schedule II classification means that while it Oxycontin is very effective when used correctly, it must be both dispensed and monitored carefully due to its potency being a risk-factor for abuse and addiction.

A person can develop psychological dependence, physical dependence, or both, simply due to the effectiveness of this drug. The person may begin to rely so heavily on the drug for its painkilling effects that he builds up a tolerance to the drug, thus needing higher or more frequent doses in order to gain the results he needs. He may also become so accustomed to the absence of pain caused by Oxycontin use that he begins to fear pain enough to become completely dependent upon the drug.

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Marijuana is a tobacco-like substance, dull in colors like green, gray or brown, made up of dried leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the hemp plant. Known by over 200 names, it is an addictive substance commonly referred to as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom and hashish is its stronger form. In whatever form it is taken, it alters the way the mind works as it contains an active chemical called THC, or delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Initially used for medication and healing, it became dangerous, dreaded drug in the 1970s as its addictive powers gripped thousands and became a forbidden drug that was smuggled into countries.

Marijuana is terribly addictive and obsessive. It is smoked almost like a cigarette and gets absorbed into the body almost instantaneously. It reaches the brain and united with receptors of nerve cells, affecting that part of the brain, which controls pleasure, thought, concentration, memory and coordination. It then impedes these activities. A person gets addicted to it very easily and it is peddled so much that it is often easier to procure than alcohol. Addicts think about the drug all the time, where and how to get it, how to raise funds for it, forgetting values and principles just to be able to get marijuana, and the fear of not getting it in the future. The biggest problem of its addiction is the body’s physical craving for marijuana, and more and more quantities are required to reach that level of bliss.

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Smoking marijuana is a growing problem across the world. As the cost continues to come down, more and more people in all walks of life are turning to the “evil weed”. If you are fed up of being addicted to “pot”, there are many options out there that will help you to try and quit smoking marijuana.

Whilst marijuana is addictive, it is the lesser of the evils when compared to other drugs such as heroine. However, as it is most often mixed with tobacco and smoked, it can be extremely habit forming.

The effects of marijuana vary significantly from person to person. For the lucky few, they actively do not like the drug. For many, it relaxes them and lightens the mood, often resulting in a fit of the “giggles”. For some, it transports them to a relaxed place where the responsibilities of life simply ebb away.

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Heroin is an opiate derived from the opium poppy. Opiates have long been used in pain relief and heroin is in the same category. In the UK, a cocktail is made from heroin and alcohol and given to terminally ill cancer patients to relieve them of pain.

Heroin use has been popular with teenagers since about the sixties and reached alarming proportions in the US in the nineties. It is still used by teenagers and adolescents though it is becoming increasingly difficult to procure.

Heroin is rapid-acting, and one of the fastest drugs to become addictive. Most users start by snorting or smoking, secure in a misguided belief that in so doing the drug is not addictive. But this is not the case, and once the body becomes addicted they graduate to injecting themselves. Users typically relate experiencing a surge of pleasurable sensation, a “rush”, the intensity of which depends on the quantity taken and the speed at which it reaches the brain. With regular use intolerance sets in which requires greater or more frequent doses to satisfy the addiction.

Here are some of the symptoms that can warn parents of drug abuse:

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Heroin, an opiate derived from opium is rapid-acting and extremely addictive. Its most common form is as a white powder which is snorted, smoked or injected. But in a less refined form it comes as a black tarry substance.

Most users start by snorting or smoking, secure in a misguided belief that in so doing the drug is not addictive. But this is not the case, and once the body becomes addicted they graduate to injecting themselves.

Soon after injection or inhalation, heroin enters the bloodstream and crosses the blood-brain threshold. Users typically relate experiencing a surge of pleasurable sensation, a “rush”, the intensity of which depends on the quantity taken and the speed at which it reaches the brain. Other sensations are a warm skin flushing, dry mouth, and a lethargic sensation in the extremities. Nausea, vomiting, and severe itching are possible side effects. Heroin is so easily addictive because of the speed at which it affects the brain. The strength is frequently unknown which causes an addict to overdose and risk possible death.

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Every year the number of cases of drug and alcohol addiction increases. As a result, the crime rate also increases since many individuals are no longer in control of their actions and their minds are being manipulated by the influence of addictive elements of the liquor. To protect the quality and essence of life, the there should be treatments for addiction that has to be implemented. Through this, many lives will be saved from further damage, families can be saved from deteriorating and every individual’s health can no longer be exploited.

There are various treatments for addiction available for every dependent and it varies according to many factors such as intensity of inclination, personal needs of the individual and the available programs in the area. In severe cases, strict implementation of methods and medication is necessary. For mild cases that can be addressed through lighter medications, it is vital that the treatments should not be excessive or beyond what is required. You cannot usually determine how critical a problem is unless you are already seasoned to do it. Therefore, it is advisable that a physician would be contacted to aid in the process. Alcoholism is such a serious case that once not handled carefully, will not only destroy the life of the dependent but also of those who love him.

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Before we directly proceed on how to deal with crack cocaine withdrawal, let us first get ourselves fully acquainted with what crack cocaine is. If you are thinking that this drug is the ordinary cocaine, you are wrong. Although very similar to cocaine, this drug is processed as it is mixed with baking soda or ammonia and water which then form into rocks. This substance is usually cheaper to buy. It is often smoked in pipes by crack addicts.

But what makes this substance so addictive? A user feels a certain type of high whenever this substance is smoked. This certain high is like euphoria to the user. But because this high doesn’t last long, it makes the user crave for more to feel it again. This drives the users to chase over this drug, wasting their money and their lives as well. This also leads drug users to commit crimes such as robbery in pursuit of this particular high.

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