These medications would replace the
Prescription recreational usage of cocaine, popular
Medication Abuse:
The Secret
Addiction
Nicholas Saris April 17, 2017
Throughout a single day in the
United States, 40 people die of overdosing
on narcotic prescription medications. 1 More
than 15 million people abuse narcotic
prescription medication in just the United
States, with millions more around the
world. While the conversation of
prescription medication abuse has
resurfaced in the past 30 to 40 years, the
issue itself has existed for over 200 years.
The introduction of an opium/alcohol
mixture identified as Laudanum in the early
1800s introduced a culture of prescription
consumption that would shift the
prescriptions purpose from medical
necessity to pure addiction. In an effort to
deter opium addiction, the usage of
morphine in the mid 1800s would become
increasingly popular, originating in Europe,
then gravitating to the United States during
the Civil War.2 At the turn of the century, a
new narcotic drug would be introduced:
Heroin. Heroin was seen as a solution for
those addicted to morphine, and was easily
accessible through patent medication
salesmen3, a distribution loophole that
kept the medication ingredients
confidential. In addition to heroin usage,
the early decades of the 1900s would
include the introduction of stimulants such
as methamphetamine and amphetamines.
during the late 1800s. Given the
methamphetamine and amphetamine
usage was popular during World War I and
II, the addictions spread worldwide.
These stimulants would too be used for
non-medical purposes, as soldiers and
factory workers alike would consistently use
them to stay awake and prolong their
usefulness. In Japan, the usage of
methamphetamine suddenly surged as the
stimulants were openly distributed at the
end of the war, resulting in over 200,000
new cases of methamphetamine
addictions.4 Later in the 20th century,
methamphetamine would be produced in
the form of tabs illegally, while
amphetamines continued to be produced in
the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to
stimulants, German scientists would
introduce Oxycodone in 1916, a pain
medication to be used in war times, and
with less addictive chemicals than morphine
or heroin. After the war, Oxycodone would
resurface as a recreational painkiller during
the 1960s, and has remained a national
issue since.5 The usage of Oxycodone would
merge the next chapter of narcotic
medication abuse, the usage of painkillers
and other related medications towards the
end of the 20th century. The 1970s and 80s
brought on the introduction of Vicodin and
Percocet, with the purpose of giving relief
to patients with severe pain. At this time in
the United States medicinal history,
Physicians as well as medication producers
became invested in the concept of pain
treatment, its strength, and how available
it is to patients. In 1996, Oxycontin was
released to the public, presented as a long-
term solution to pain. The pharmaceutical
company responsible for the production of
Oxycontin, Purdue Phrama, advertised their
new painkiller as an almost miracle drug,
promoting its effectiveness, as well as
ensuring little to no medical side effects.6 In
the year that Oxycontin was introduced,
painkiller prescriptions written to patients
had increased by 11 million. 4 years later,
Purdue Pharma would pay the US
Government over $600 Million in a
settlement created over the companys
drug misbranding, as well as downplaying
the possibility of addiction 7.This event
would surge awareness of the dangers of
narcotic prescription medication in the
United States, as the problem continued to
grow in the shadows.
Current Legislation
Towards Prescription
Medication Abuse
We now find ourselves with a
thorough history of narcotic prescription
medication abuse, and yet, the problem
continues to persist. Many would point to
the US Government to enforce authority,
and as they should. Just as society has its
own past with the issue, the US government
has been right there throughout the
timeline, repeatedly proposing solutions to
render the problem. The US Governments
first major piece of legislation in the battle
against prescription medication came in
1905, with the banning of opium in the
United States, and a year later, the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) was
formed.8 A few years later in 1914, the
Harrison Narcotic Act would only allow
doctors to distribute abusive medications,
as well as requiring a patient to have a legal
prescription to obtain the medicine. Later in
1930, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was
created in order to further research of drug
addiction, in light of medication
consumption during World War I and II.9
Alongside constant efforts from FDA, Major
legislation would then resurface in 1951
with the Durham Humphrey Bill,
distinguishing the difference between
prescription and non-prescription drugs, as
well as enforcing medication refill
restrictions.10The Narcotic Manufacturing
Act of 1960 would require a government
issued license to manufacture both natural
and synthetic medication, with the
intention to keep non-regulated medication
out of circulation.11 In the following decade,
the US Government would issue the
Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and
Control Act, establishing a 5-schedule
system that would categorize all types of
drugs. This would be the US Governments
first complete identification of different
types drugs and their severity, based on
various factors.12 Soon, the US Government
would bring the issue to the White House,
creating a director of national drug control
policy through the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of
1988. The position was established to
manage the governments efforts in drug
prevention, as well as medicine diversion.13
In relation to the issue more recently, 21st
century type legislation such as the Ryan
Haight Online Pharmacy Act of 2008 would
restrict all sales of online medication from a
physician that has never a patient in
practice.14 After analyzing these key
instances of legislation implemented by the
US Government, the correlation between
the history of narcotic medication usages
and government action are in
synchronization. Various spikes in
prescription medication consumption
occurring throughout the 20th century
would trigger a response by the US
Government, resulting in legislation being
passed pertaining to different issues at
hand. While these actions may be assumed
to result in both a positive short and long
term outcome, history has proven
something different. Though the laws
passed may prove effective regarding a
certain issue at hand, a stemming issue is
then created caused by government action,
creating a completely new problem
lawmakers must tackle. As this trend has
proven evident for the past 100 years, it is
crucial for our government to approach the
issue at a different angle.
Prescription Medication Abuse
Today
What is the issue we face? While
fully aware of the problem with prescription
medication abuse, our society fails to
prioritize its fixing. Since 1999, the sale of
prescription painkillers in the United States
has quadrupled, resulting in the number of
prescription medication poisonings at an
almost identical pace.15 The umbrella of
narcotic prescription medication is not
limited to painkillers, as it includes
depressants and anxiety remedies such as
Valium and Xanax, and even ADHD
stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin.16 All
of these medications are distributed
illegally to non-prescribed patients and are
repeatedly abused by patients and non-
patients alike. To recognize the issue of
prescription abuse, its vital to understand
the illegal circulation of narcotic
prescription medication, as well as the
effects of medication abuse. Beyond the
redistribution of over-the-counter
prescriptions, these drugs have found many
alternatives to reach the hands of addicts.
Pill Mills, a physician operated clinic or
pharmacy, intentionally prescribe
medication for non-medication purpose.
These illegally written prescriptions attract
numerous addicts, as they see these mills
as easy access to get medication without
good reason. In addition, online pharmacies
provide addicts the opportunity to obtain
medication without leaving their own
home, resulting in narcotic prescription
medication availability to anyone with
access to the internet.17 As medication
availability can be seen as a beginning to
the start of abuse, the dangers and effects
of consumption surely follow, creating a
new issue in its own. Prescription
medication overdose is the 2nd highest
cause of accidental death in the United
States, and 9 out of every 10 poisoning
deaths are caused by these drugs, both
from legal and illegal distribution.18 The
obvious and most destructive effect of
prescription medication abuse would be the
addictive tendency it causes, creating an
artificial dependency that is difficult to
reverse. This cycle of repeated acquisition is
the cause of various addictions forming
throughout the United States, and as the
availability remains constant, so does the
addiction.
What Are We Missing?
Living in 21st century where
everything is controlled by technology and
data, humanity knows more now than ever
before. Information is available to anyone
in a matter of seconds, giving an individual
the opportunity to educate themselves
almost infinitely. How is this related to
narcotic prescription medication abuse?
The truth lies in societys interpretation of
prescription medication and the impact it
has. In a 2015 survey issued by the
Foundation for a Drug Free World, over 50%
of teens said they believe that prescription
drugs are much safer than illegal street
drugs.19 This shows that initial education of
prescription medication abuse is near
nonexistent. While street drugs and alcohol
abuse have programs such as D.A.R.E to
educate Americas youth about the dangers
of usage, prescription medication education
has no such program. This should be seen
as a priority, as the teenagers are the
highest growing demographic in
prescription medication usage, as usage
become a growing trend on college
campuses across the country.20 Without the
knowledge of how addictive these drugs
can be, more and more users will become
immune to the severity of consumption,
resulting in a rise in addiction. As we focus
on those walking a path towards addiction,
it is equally important to look at those who
have already reached addiction and need
help. Currently, only 1 in 10 Americans will
receive proper treatment, leaving millions
without sufficient help.21 With a growing
population and a rapid increase in the
availability of medications, that number will
only continue to get bigger.
A Look to the Future
It is time for a change. Due to a lack
of knowledge about the dangers of narcotic
prescription medication, combined with a
national availability of medication that
continues to grow, the issue at hand seems
to become more and more difficult to solve.
Our national government must create
stricter laws to limit the ease and
availability of consumption around the
country, as well as implementing more
constructive education to civilians and
doctors alike in order to get medicine to
those who truly need it, and keep out of the
hands of current and future addicts. What
does this mean? First and foremost, the
United States government must take
control of the situation and create
regulations via the FDA to ensure that the
only way to receive prescription medication
is through a licensed pharmacy after
receiving a written prescription from a
physician. In addition, the number of
distributed pills should be decreased (ex: 30
to 15), with the goal of limiting the amount
of unused medication. In regard to
education, society as a whole must become
more aware of the dangers of prescription
medication addiction and abuse. This
includes doctors of all types, as an increase
in awareness will help make the decision
whether to prescribe a patient or not.
Education at home too must become a
priority, as parents must begin to teach
their children about prescription
medication as they would with mainstream
street drugs. Our nation faces a serious
issue that, now, receives little to no
attention. It is time for prescription
medications to join other dangerous drugs
in the conversation of drug abuse,
regardless of their medical purposes. If
these steps are followed, the future for
generations to come will be healthier and
more education on the subject, and most
importantly, they will be safe from a
potential epidemic that could have been.
Endnotes

1 Abuse, National Institute on Drug. "America's Addiction to http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/painkillers/a-short-

history.html.
Opioids: Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse." NIDA. May 14,
2014. Accessed April 15, 2017.
https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-
activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to- 20"A Beginner's Guide to the Rx Drug Abuse Epidemic in
opioids-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse.
2 "History of Prescription Drugs." Narconon International. America: Part 5." Foundations Recovery Network. Accessed
April 14, 2017.
Accessed April 15, 2017. http://www.narconon.org/drug-
https://www.foundationsrecoverynetwork.com/beginners-
abuse/prescription-drug-history.html.
guide-rx-drug-abuse-epidemic-america-part-5/#fn2.
3 ibid
21 ibid
4 ibid
5Moghe, Sonia. "Opioids: From 'wonder Drug' to Abuse
Epidemic." CNN. October 14, 2016. Accessed April 15, 2017.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/12/health/opioid-addiction-
history/.
6 ibid
7 ibid
8"A Beginner's Guide to the Rx Drug Abuse Epidemic in
America: Part 2." Foundations Recovery Network. Accessed
April 14, 2017.
https://www.foundationsrecoverynetwork.com/beginners-
guide-rx-drug-abuse-epidemic-in-america-part-2-how-did-we-
get-here/.
9ibid
10ibid
11 ibid
12 ibid
13 Sheikh, Nadia, "The History of Opioids in America: Pain
Patients or Prescription Addictions?" Sober Nation. October 03,
2016. Accessed April 15, 2017. https://sobernation.com/the-
history-of-opioids-in-america-pain-patients-or-prescription-
addictions/.
14 ibid
15"A Beginner's Guide to the Rx Drug Abuse Epidemic in
America: Part 1." Foundations Recovery Network. Accessed
April 14, 2017.
https://www.foundationsrecoverynetwork.com/beginners-
guide-rx-drug-abuse-epidemic-in-america-part-1-snapshot-
america-pill-problem/.
16
"Prescription Drug Overdose." AMERICAN PUBLIC
HEALTH ASSOCIATION. Accessed April 13, 2017.
https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/prescription-drug
overdose.
17 ibid
18 ibid
19"Watch Truth About Drugs Documentary Video & Learn
About Substance Addiction. Get The Facts About Painkillers,
Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth & Other Illegal Drugs." Foundation
for a Drug-Free World. Accessed April 15, 2017.