Opioid Epidemic Reaches The Quaint Suburban Communities
With the opioid epidemic getting so much press these days, it’s getting harder for people to shrug it off and say “It could never happen here”. Wilton Connecticut is a small suburban area that is coming to terms with this fact. Local leaders are noting an increase in opiate addiction and death from complications due to the opioid epidemic. Aggressive sales tactics by pharmaceutical companies have caused an increase in the number of opiate prescriptions written each year in the US. NIDA director Nora Volkow, M.D., estimates that nearly 2 million people in the US struggled with prescription opiates in 2014. Over half a million suffered from a concurrent heroin problem.
Youth Are Especially at Risk
The sheer number of opiate prescriptions written in the United States is staggering. 207 million prescriptions for opiates were written in 2013. With the high number of prescription pain pills in circulation, it is no wonder that they have filtered down through the black market and into our schools. Pills often serve as a gateway to heroin for youth as well, as they are erroneously perceived as safer than regular heroin. More proof that the opioid epidemic is deadly comes from news sources every day. In Naperville, IL, heroin has claimed the lives of 20 high school students in the last 6 years.
Prescription Drugs More Deadly Than Illegal Drugs
Does prescription drug abuse cause more damage than illegal drug use? The statistics suggest that this is the case1:
- An estimated 106,000 or more people die each year from properly prescribed and administered drugs
- Over 2,000,000 suffer damaging side effects
Compare that to the death toll from Illegal drugs:
- Illegal drugs cause an estimated 10,000-20,000 US deaths per year.2
It’s time to debunk the myth that prescription drugs are less dangerous. The prescription label doesn’t make them safer than illegal drugs. The opioid epidemic has risen to its shocking heights in the US as a direct result of the widespread availability of prescription opiates.
Help is Available for Suburban Communities
It’s time to put an end to the opioid epidemic. If there is anyone who you care about that is addicted to prescription pills or heroin, Stepping Stone Center for Recovery can help. There is no better time than the present to start fighting your way out from under this terrible burden. We can answer your questions and help you overcome your addiction to these powerful drugs. Addiction is a powerful force but can be treated with the right support. Call us today at 866-957-4960. 1: (Lazarou J, Pomeranz BH, Corey PN: “Incidence of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients.” JAMA 1998;279:1200.) 2: (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC. 2007;56(05):93-96.)
