Category Archives: Prescription Drugs

Prescription drug abuse is when someone takes a medication intended for someone else or when someone uses a medication in a way not intended by the prescribing doctor - like getting high. The most frequently abused prescriptions drugs are opioids, depressants and stimulants.

Heroin use in the United States is increasing at alarming rates. According to recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heroin use increased 63% between 2002 and 2013 and heroin-related overdose deaths have nearly quadrupled over the same time period.

Primarily due to easy accessibility, prescription drug abuse is one of the fastest growing trends in the United States. There are many reasons people abuse prescription drugs. A common misconception is that many believe that prescription drugs are not abused or as addictive as the more familiar drugs such as cocaine or heroin.