Prescription medicine is made for the illness they are made for. There are those though that would use prescription medicine for non-medical use. A study has found that prescription medicine are being used by youth much more.
The use of prescription medicine for non-medical use has been rising. Silvia Martins, M.D., Ph.D. and an associate professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University has said that the use of prescription opioids has been as high as 550 percent worldwide. The period from 2000 to 2014 has seen deaths due to opioid overdose to have increased by 200 percent.
The data has been taken from many school and college-aged youth from Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. For the US, the data has been based on the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The data overall shows that non-medical use of prescription medicine has risen.
Some examples of this data can be seen in Beirut, where its use among private university students went up by 22 percent. High school students are also shown to have used opioids for non-medical use. In Saudi Arabia, seven percent of students are said to have been using them.
Three quarters of reported overdose deaths in Europe are attributed to opioid use, according to Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health's site. Six percent of European school students are said to have taken some form of tranquilizer. Dr. Martins has noted that overuse of these medicine might be due to the perception that they are safe, as opposed to illegal drugs.
Non-medical use of medicine might either be its use without a proper prescription, or else to take it above its recommended dosage. The use of such medicine without proper guidance can lead to complications in health, as Science Daily reports. These complications can include hypertension, irregular heart rate and stroke.
Aside from those effects, some can lead to mental issues as well. Psychiatric symptoms might arise, and some can lead to thoughts of suicide as well. Dr. Martins has suggested that parents and youth should be informed about the danger of taking prescription medicine without proper guidance. Alternative treatment could also be used by doctors in order to reduce the chance of abuse.
Medicine should be used under the guidance of doctors. Prescription medicine are being used by youth much more. A study shows that depressed people can let go of unattainable goals better.
