Prescription Opiates As Gateway to Heroin

When someone is injured in a personal injury accident often prescription opiates are prescribed for their pain. And often they are initially perceived as a life-saver.

But these are powerful drugs that many physicians are starting to view as a gateway to heroin because of their potential for abuse and addiction.

Oxycontin and oxycodone, vicodin and hydrocodone are all opiates just as heroin is and, according to excerpts and as reported by the New York Times, have altered the landscape of addiction.

Rates of addiction and abuse of prescription opiates have risen to epidemic proportions in the last decade. And at the same time, we have seen a substantial increase in heroin use. According to experts, that’s no coincidence.

When people become addicted to prescription opiates often they must obtain the pills illegally. And when this starts, some individuals may question why they are paying inflated prices for prescription drugs when an equivalent dose of heroin is much cheaper.

We have written about the problems associated with prescription opiates before here on Legal Blog (see previous articles here) and how this has impacted workplace injury issues and safety.

When someone suffers a debilitating injury they need serious medications to help them cope with the pain and recover. But more needs to be done to encourage personal injury victims away from prescription opiates and toward better and safer alternatives. 

If you would like to learn more about prescription opiates and their potential for abuse and addiction click here for the New York Times article or here for the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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