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The Addictive Effects of Prescription Painkillers
The Addictive Effects of Prescription Painkillers

Pain medication is being abused because many people are addicted and people have to be treated for addiction. Addiction to painkillers has become a big problem in the US among teenagers, the middle aged, and the elderly. There seems to be no age barrier when it comes to this addiction.
There are many types of prescription painkillers. Painkillers are powerful drugs that interfere with the nervous system’s transmission of the electrical signals one perceives as pain. The most powerful prescription painkillers are called opioids. Opioids include codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone. Trade names include Anexsia, Dicodid, Hycodan, Hycomine, Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, Tussionex and Vicodin. The most powerful of these types of painkillers is Oxycodone. The trade names for Oxycodone are Percodan, Endodan, Roxiprin, Percocet, Endocet, Roxicet and OxyContin. Two types of the most commonly abused drugs are opioids and benzodiazepines. {Foundation for a drug free world,The Truth About Pain Killers 2005-2007}
The abuse of prescription painkillers came to the forefront when high profile personalities sought treatment for addiction to the drugs. In America, more than 15 million people have abused prescription drugs and abuse is on an incline. {Foundation for a drug free world,The Truth About Pain Killers 2005-2007} People are becoming addicted and are abusing prescription painkillers. There seems to be no prejudice to this problem. Women, men, young adults, children, wealthy, middle class, and lower class, all seem to have this problem within their community. Many people do not put themselves I the same category as drug abusers. They often do not recognize that they have a problem, especially if a physician is prescribing the drug to them.
Over two million of the people who are addicted to prescription painkillers are teenagers....