The DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) is ratcheting up their efforts against prescription drug abuse (see Yahoo News):
We have reported on various aspects of the prescription drug problem before (see our blog entry on fraudulent prescriptions for example). The DEA’s call for the voluntary removal of prescription medications that are no longer needed from folks’ homes is not new, exactly – on a smaller scale, police departments have done this around the country. Last weekend marked a monumental effort that indicated the seriousness of the problem – approximately 4,000 medication drop-off sites were set up across the country.
What kind of drugs might you have in your medicine cabinet that have become popular drugs of abuse?
Vicodin – You might receive Vicodin for a broken leg, or after a dental appointment, and not see a need for taking it after the pain is gone. In fact, you may stop taking it because you know it’s addictive. Leaving it around the house only presents the curious with an opportunity to try it recreationally.
Percocet – This is another popular prescription pain reliever that is popped recreationally for feelings of heightened well-being. Withdrawal from this and other drugs on the list can be difficult though, especially when used recreationally/unnecessarily. The use of this drug can be tested for with a percocet drug test, which we call on our site the “oxycodone drug test” (since it works for both, and other drugs too).
OxyContin – “Hillbilly heroin” or “oxy” it is one of the primary reasons the DEA organized the medication drop-off. As explained in the video above, it is practically “synthetic heroin.”
Codeine – This can be found in cough medicines and is an important ingredient in “purple drank,” a popular underground narcotic/antihistamine beverage. Like the others on this list, it can also be taken on its own for its narcotic effects.
Xanax/Valium – These benzodiazepines are often mixed with alcohol, which makes them much, much more dangerous and the user much more prone to overdose.
This may not seem like something everybody needs to worry about. But if you are a parent, discarding pain medication when you no longer need it is probably a smart idea. Far too many kids are not just searching through their parents’ liquor cabinets these days – they’re searching through the medicine cabinet too, or doing both.
