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According to a recent article, overdose from prescription drugs is now the leading cause of death for adults under 45 in West Virginia. In 1998, there were 21 deaths from poisonings, mostly drug overdoses, and by 2006 the number had escalated to 460. Seven of the top ten killers were prescription drugs - methadone, hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl - aka Dolophine. Lortab. Vicodin. Percodan. OxyContin. MS Contin and Duragesic. OxyContin addiction is getting most of the press these days but the other drugs are just as dangerous, and they all require the same drug detox procedures to quit.

Why has the death rate increased in such alarming numbers? Partially because the number of prescriptions written for these drugs has quadrupled in West Virginia since 1998. But even ‘quadrupled’ is a long way from the difference between 21 and 460. The problem is that the many patients who start off with a prescription have trouble getting off the drugs. When they can no longer get a prescription, they hit the streets instead of going to drug detox for help. People also are introduced to the drugs by ‘friends’, find them in their parents’ or friends’ medicine cabinets, or get them in exchange for sex or other favors. The article even mentioned trading them for car payments.

Drugs beget more drugs, and deaths: Increase the number of prescriptions written by four times, and the death toll increases by 22 times.

If you or someone you know has an OxyContin addiction or a problem with any others of the drugs on that list, get into drug detox fast. Don’t become one of the statistics, and don’t risk the same happening to someone else.

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