| America's war on drugs, which has been
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| | potential even when alternatives may
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| fought in the opium fields of Afghanistan
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| | exist.
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| and the cocaine plantations of Columbia,
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| | The next battle in America's war on drugs
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| will have to reinvent itself to combat
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| | must draw a bead on pharmaceuticals. The
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| what is set to be America's biggest drug
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| | ONDCP must be willing to launch the same
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| abuse problem, pharmaceuticals. One in
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| | type of hard hitting ad campaigns against
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| five American's, nearly 48 million, have
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| | prescription drug abuse as it has
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| used prescription drugs for non-medical
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| | against, marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine.
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| purposes at least once in their lives.
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| | The FDA must not be afraid to sanction
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| The current past month misuse rate among
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| | drug manufacturers who continue to make
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| Americans is 6.2 million. According to a
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| | unsafe drugs where safe alternatives
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| recent white paper by Carnevale
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| | exist. Pharmaceutical manufactures must
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| Associates, this rate of use is already
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| | become better citizens and spend the
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| higher than the historical highs of both
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| | research and development dollars to make
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| cocaine and heroin epidemics.
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| | safe and effective drugs, rather than
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| For some, the road to illicit use of
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| | taking the easy way out.
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| prescription medications starts
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| | This new phase of the war on drugs,
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| innocently. After a car accident, back
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| | without easily targeted foreigners to
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| injury, or, even, a mental/emotional
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| | blame for America's drug abuse problems,
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| breakdown a physician prescribes
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| | will take unwavering political resolve,
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| medication for a legitimate use. Over
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| | corporate citizenship and ingenuity. Even
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| time, tolerance builds up so that more
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| | then it is likely to take years before
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| and more of the drug is needed until a
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| | the trend of increases in prescription
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| state of dependence is reached. At this
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| | medicine abuse and addiction can be
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| point, there is no easy way to get off
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| | reversed.
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| the drug, and stopping can involve
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| | Common Prescription Drugs of Abuse:
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| painful withdrawal symptoms. Some doctors
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| | Opioids: these are synthetic versions of
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| have been known to become afraid and cut
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| | opium. Intended for pain management
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| their patients off at this point.
| |
| | opioids are the most commonly abused
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| Patients have been known to steal
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| | prescription drugs. OxyContin
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| prescription pads, or visit numerous
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| | (oxycodone), Vicodin (hydrocodone) and
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| doctors to get the drugs they have become
| |
| | Demerol (meperidine) are the most popular
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| addicted to.
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| | for abuse. Short-term side effects can
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| However, contrary to popular belief, it
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| | include pain relief, euphoria, and
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| is not older adults or any adults who are
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| | drowsiness. Overdose can lead to death.
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| most likely to abuse pharmaceuticals. In
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| | Long-term use can lead to dependence or
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| the past decade, abuse of prescription
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| | addiction.
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| meds among youth has been growing at an
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| | Depressants: These drugs are commonly
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| alarming first-time use rate of more than
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| | prescribed to treat anxiety; panic
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| fifty percent each year. In 2002, the
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| | attacks, and sleep disorders. Nembutal
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| latest year for which there are
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| | (pentobarbital sodium), Valium
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| statistics, approximately 2.5 million
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| | (diazepam), and Xanax (alprazolam) are
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| American's misused prescriptions for the
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| | just three of the many drugs in this
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| first time and 44% of them were under the
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| | category. Immediately slow down normal
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| age of 18.
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| | brain functioning and can cause
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| Unfortunately, as the media fixes its
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| | sleepiness Long-term use can lead to
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| gaze on the methamphetamine problem; and
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| | physical dependence and addiction.
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| the Office of National Drug Control
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| | Stimulants: Doctors may prescribe these
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| Policy spends much of its time focusing
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| | to treat the sleeping disorder narcolepsy
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| on Marijuana the opportunity to address
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| | or attention-deficit/hyperactivity
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| the pharmaceutical addiction and abuse is
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| | disorder, ADHD. Ritalin (methylphenidate)
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| being missed. While certain steps have
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| | and Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine) are two
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| been taken they have been tentative. The
| |
| | commonly prescribed stimulants. These
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| ONDCP has drawn up a strategy for
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| | drugs enhance brain activity and increase
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| addressing synthetic drugs, but no
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| | alertness and energy in much the same way
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| serious media campaign to educate
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| | as cocaine or methamphetamine. They
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| Americans about the problem has been
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| | increase blood pressure; speed up heart
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| undertaken. Nor has any pharmaceutical
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| | rate, and respiration. Very high doses
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| company been brought to heel for
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| | can lead to irregular heartbeat and
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| manufacturing drugs with high abuse
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| | hyperthermia.
|
