Drugs Abuse Facts And Satistics.How Dangerous Drugs For Us?

Prescription drug abuse involves taking a prescription medication that isn't yours or taking your own prescription medication in a way that differs from your doctor's instructions. It's a common misconception that abusing prescription medications is safer than taking illegal street drugs. Abusing prescription medications is very dangerous, and can even be deadly. The potential to overdose on a prescription medication or become addicted is very real.
Pain Killers:
Pain killers called opioids are by far the most commonly abused prescription medications. These medications work by decreasing the perception of pain. Medications in this class include hydrocodone and acetaminophen (Vicodin), oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet), oxycodone (OxyContin), fentanyl (Duragesic), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), morphine (Avinza, Kadian), and codeine. Opioid misuse/abuse is responsible for about 75% of overdose-related deaths. That's more than any other prescription or illegal drug.
Opioids affect reward centers in the brain. People take them recreationally to experience a sense of euphoria. When abused, opioids can lead to sedation, dizziness, weakness, sweating, and more. Just one high dose of an opioid can depress breathing and lead to coma, or even death. Lowering the dose of or abruptly stopping opioids may lead to withdrawal symptoms including restlessness, vomiting, diarrhea, pain, and chills.

Prescription Drug Abuse Dangers:
Some people mistakenly believe abusing prescription drugs is safer than taking street drugs. That's not the case. Abuse or misuse of prescription medications can lead to tolerance, which refers to the body's adaptation to the long-term use of a substance to the point where it no longer produces the desired effect. The result is that a person needs a higher dose of the substance to achieve the same response produced previously by a lower dose.
Withdrawal refers to symptoms that occur after stopping or decreasing the dose of a substance that has been used for some time. Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to life threatening. Requiring more of a substance to achieve the desired effect (tolerance) and experiencing negative symptoms when a substance is decreased or stopped abruptly (withdrawal) are features of physical dependence.
Addiction is a brain condition that refers to intense seeking, craving, and using of a substance, even though it is harmful. Physical dependence is often, but not always, a component of addiction.

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