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Gaining access to dangerous prescription drugs is becoming easier than buying beer for US teenagers according to the results of a new survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
Prescription drug use amongst teens seeking a cheap alternative to get high has been an ever increasing problem in the US with many kids simply turning to their parents’ medicine cabinets for their supply.
The survey asked US teens what was more easier to get their hands on; cigarettes, beer, marijuana, or prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin or Ritalin, without a prescription?
Up to 19% of survey respondants said it was easier for them to purchase prescription drugs than purchasing alcohol or cigarettes.
Last year, the same survey was conducted and found that only 13% of teens responded in a similar fashion.
The survey found that the most likely places for teens to gain access to prescription drugs was either their own medicine cabinets, or from a friend.
This is an unsettling trend in the US, and unless tougher regulations are put in place governing prescription drugs, the situation is only going to continue to get worse.
I have been actively exposing Purdue Pharma (a $10 billion criminally convicted pharmaceutical company) and its 3 CEO’s Michael Friedman, Howard Udell and Paul Goldenheim for criminally marketing OxyContin. I have worked on this for 6 years. In July 2007, they were charged in Federal Court with marketing OxyContin to patients and physicians as less likely to be addictive or abused. They pled guilty and were sentenced. I testified against them in Federal Court and in front of the US Senate. Their actions have resulted in an epidemic of OxyContin addiction and death in every state in the country. My work now focuses on further action being taken against them and J. David Haddox, the gatekeeper of Purdue Pharma’s involvement in the criminal marketing of OxyContin. I am working with government agencies and the FDA to accomplish this next goal. Marianne Skolek
Marianne Skolek
Activist for Victims of OxyContin and
Purdue Pharma - a criminally convicted pharmaceutical company
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/business/11drug-web.html?ex=1336536000&en=9cc24d9d766e92a6&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
I testified against Purdue Pharma before the U.S. Senate
http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=2905&wit_id=6612
908-285-1232
mskolek@aol.com
http://www.oxydeaths.com
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