Painkiller Abuse Information and Statistics

America may be a big country, home to millions of people, but a couple of million painkiller addicts is nothing to be sniffed at. The worst part of statistics indicating these numbers of known addicts is that the number encompasses individuals over the age of twelve. This means that children entering middle school could be addicted before they reach high school, or might have endured an addicted period in their lives. Not all addictions go on throughout life untreated.

Sometimes a caring, alert parent, friend, or teacher will step in when he or she sees symptoms of drug addiction. If the affected individual can be encouraged to admit to the problem, then he or she can start detoxifying and may never experience anything like this again. In fact, it can be a pertinent warning to the danger of painkillers, though gained in the hardest of ways.

Many unfortunate people do not have the support of truth-speaking friends, relatives or professionals around them. In fact, their social scene might include drug users who pressure them to abuse of painkillers. These people could lose everything: jobs, families, even their lives. This is especially tragic when one realizes how easy it is to get hold of many narcotic painkillers.

While they must be prescribed by a physician in the event of a legitimate need, websites sell narcotic analgesics without erecting substantial hurdles. For someone willing to pay the money, the web could become a resource for legal and highly addictive drugs.

Drug Free World writes that the symptoms of drug abuse include a changing personality. Your best friend could become a moody, defensive stranger. He or she might also blackout sometimes, or they could forget seemingly obvious facts.

An authority site on painkillers indicates that almost half of surveyed teens think prescription painkillers are safer than illegal drugs. This is scary because it means the attitude towards analgesics is too permissive and ignorant. Ignorance can be a big killer in this case.

It is important for parents to understand this fact, because children gain much of their education and support from the home. Regardless of what changes there are on the social scene, family members can remain a solid base of information and love which gives teens a safe place to retreat to when peer pressure could lead to drug use and addiction.

Parents need to realize that, sometimes, what looks like hormones is really a sign of addiction. They might not think their kids can get hold of dangerous substances without money and help, but this is not so. Keep an eye out for physical and emotional changes which seem extreme. Look out for altered behavior, such as refusing to do regular tasks, snapping at parents, isolation and depression.