Do you think that prescription drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs?
Asked by
dreamer31 (
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February 27th, 2011
Of course they are if they aren’t taken correctly, but the dependence on street drugs heroin, meth, cocaine seem to be just as strong as pain medicine. I understand that this does not apply to many people who need it and take it like they are supposed to.
I know people from both sides and the ones who abuse it are a very sad case to me, no different if they were addicted to an illegal substance. They fall over in their food at the dinner table and burn themselves while smoking cigarettes as well as alienate themselves from everyone, partially because they can’t even finish a sentence before they fall asleep. They have incredible mood swings and low self esteem,—you know, “nobody loves me , everybody hates me guess I’ll go eat worms” attitude.
These are the people who seem to have such easy access to the medication.
Do you know anyone from either side?
Have you seen the addicted personality do some of these things I’ve mentioned or something else completely off the wall?
Are these medications just as dangerous as any other drug? What do you think?
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16 Answers
There are many similarities.
There are so many people who are hooked on prescription drugs that I think you have to say that they are just as dangerous.
No, simply because Rx meds are regulated. What’s in them and how much is in each is regulated, and if something goes wrong, you can do something about it legally (not saying you should sue the drug company for your daughters death from her addiction, but rather you should if the pill contains something tainted). With street drugs, your recourse is usually to suck it up, or involve guns and violence.
Do I think it’s just as easy to get addicted to Rx drugs? Yes. Do I think their addiction is somehow “better” or less toxic because a doctor helped them? No.
Of course. Some kids died when I was in high school for taking copious amounts of cold/flu pills and drinking cough syrup.
Perscription drugs with abuse potential are dangerous than some street drugs, but not nearly as dangerous as the worst of the illegal ones. Pot is actually pretty innocuous, as is LSD and magic mushrooms. Oxycontin and some sleeping pills are far more likely to hurt someone than those illegal drugs. But crystal meth, crack cocaine and heroin are serious killers. Their addiction potential is astronomically high—to the point that few people who try crystal meth just to experiment can stop without major help in intervention. And meth is particularly loathsome because it is so destructive to the body, eventually leading to death from overuse.
I have to take hydrocodone or oxycodone plus diazepam (Valium) occasionally for muscle spasms in my back due to osteoarthritis. I have used these meds for years and never become dependent or had to up the dosage or increase how often I need them. Of course, I was aware of and determined to avoid dependency risks going in.
Also, while you can count on prescription drugs being what they are marketed to be, illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin are often cut to boost the dealer profits, and the extenders added are sometimes deadly poisons. When you are dealing with some of the most violent, vicious criminal empires in the history of the planet, you have no idea what they might do. They have no respect for human life, only for money.
The biggest drug problem amongst local kids here is abusing prescription drugs, usually taken from the medicine cabinet in the home. Meth in my town pretty much peaked about ten years ago (it was a big problem in the 90s) because people saw what it does to you.
But a lot of kids say “hey, it’s from a Dr., it can’t hurt you.” Our town has had a strong campaign to get people to turn in unused drugs.
I had a relative hooked on prescribed Oxycontin, then get off that and on to high strength Duragesic patches, and abusing ambien at the same time. It was ugly to be around.
Yes because they are drugs and no because they are prescribed.
Definitely. Most of the kids who I knew did drugs in high school were doing prescription pills, as well as other drugs.
I think this is a complicated issue and it hits very close to home for me. On the one hand I know prescription drugs can be very harmful and lead one towards addiction, abuse and death. However, on the other hand you have to consider that if you are prescribed a medication the chances are the doctor probably (or at least hopefully) is not carrying a loaded fire arm, willing to rob and kill you at the drop of a hat or going to teach you to grind up your meds and inject them into your veins. And although prescription “uppers” may have very similar effects as street meth, I don’t believe it is as common to use, say, the chemicals out of AA batteries to manufacture them.
So if push comes to shove; I would have to say illegal drugs are more dangerous.
Yes. I know kids in my highschool who use them. Apparently, one of my really good friends I just started reconnecting with uses them pretty frequently…it’s kinda sad..
Most prescription drugs are far more dangerous (even taken correctly) than marijuana can ever be.
Of course. They are the number substance of abuse in DUI violations.
rx can even be street drugs…..or rx from overseas, with dubious ingredients. In KY, you can not get drugs legally shipped in, due to pill abuse in the mountains of the eastern Applachia
Of course they can. There are so many people addicted to drugs like vicadin and other painkillers, it’s ridiculous. And ti has gradually been getting worse as the years go on.
On average, no. Plus, you are relying on a prescription and certified pharmaceutical companies instead of the black market.
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