The government has approved them. You don't need a prescription. You can get them at practically any supermarket. So obviously over-the-counter medications can't be dangerous, right? Wrong. When taken in ways other than directed, over-the-counter medications can be just as dangerous as many illegal drugs. And because there's a false sense of security about the medications—and because they are in almost everyone's home medicine cabinet—the abuse and misuse of over-the-counter medications are on the rise. Abusing Over-the-Counter Drugs: Illicit Uses for Everyday Drugs presents the facts about this alarming trend. You'll learn what drugs are most misused, the effects of misused over-the-counter medications, and what the government is doing to stem the problem. You will also find suggestions on how to get help to stop abusing over-the-counter medications.
For the past several years, over-the-counter drug abuse has been steadily on the rise. Heavy use has increased among students in middle school and high school. The number of emergency calls to poison control centers across the country has risen dramatically. Many young people have the impression that since these drugs are available in stores and can be bought by anyone, they must be safe. However, when taken in large amounts or over a long period of time, these drugs can have lasting, serious - even deadly - side effects. Over-the-Counter Drugs delves into the history, science, and prevalence of abuse of these drugs. It also explores why young people abuse drugs and provides information about addiction and treatment.
Provides basic consumer health information about the abuse of illegal drugs and misuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications, with facts about addiction, treatment, and recovery. Includes index, glossary of related terms and directory of resources.
When you picture a "drug user," what do you see? Frequently, people envision someone using heroin or some other illegal substance. But in fact, legal drugs are frequently abused and can be just as deadly. Whether it's cough syrup or energy drinks, diet pills or inhalants, this book investigates the many problems that can arise from the abuse of perfectly legal substances. From caffeine and aspirin to heroin and meth, drugs are an inescapable part of life in the 21st century. Addiction, once viewed as a shameful secret, is now widely understood to be a brain disease that can be treated. This series explores the many facets of this complex topic, providing students with the facts they need to navigate drug use and abuse in their daily lives. Each title in this series contains an introduction with Helpline contact information, color photos throughout, and back matter including: an index and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader's comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. At the end of each book a page is dedicated to Educational Videos which are offered through the use of a QR code, that when scanned, takes the student to an online video showing a moment in history, speech etc. This gives the readers additional content to supplement the text. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader's knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.
In light of the recent emergence of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) on a global scale, this book provides a timely analysis of the social and economic impact of the NPS phenomenon, and of the global policy and regulatory responses to it. It presents the first comprehensive overview of the international regulation, policy and market structure of the NPS phenomenon, offering a guide to inform legislative discussions and demonstrating from a comparative perspective the different approaches used to address the rise of NPS to date. It covers topics such as organized crime, drug markets, clinical evidence on NPS, and different regulatory approaches also in less explored settings such as prisons and sport environments. Overall, this highly informative and well-structured repository of different experiences with NPS policy, law and regulation offers an essential primary source of evidence for anyone interested in the area of drug and NPS policy, health economics and p ublic health.
Though you probably know the risks of using illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin, you might not know just how dangerous many over-the-counter medications can be when abused or taken incorrectly. Cough syrups, diet pills, sleeping pills, and other over-the-counter medications can be just as dangerous as many illegal drugs. Learn more about the true risks of taking these readily available drugs. Discover the downside of over-the-counter medications!
Drug overdose, driven largely by overdose related to the use of opioids, is now the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. The ongoing opioid crisis lies at the intersection of two public health challenges: reducing the burden of suffering from pain and containing the rising toll of the harms that can arise from the use of opioid medications. Chronic pain and opioid use disorder both represent complex human conditions affecting millions of Americans and causing untold disability and loss of function. In the context of the growing opioid problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an Opioids Action Plan in early 2016. As part of this plan, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to update the state of the science on pain research, care, and education and to identify actions the FDA and others can take to respond to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on informing FDA's development of a formal method for incorporating individual and societal considerations into its risk-benefit framework for opioid approval and monitoring.
Does Ecstasy cause brain damage? Why is crack more addictive than cocaine? What questions regarding drugs are legal to ask in a job interview? When does marijuana possession carry a greater prison sentence than murder? Illegal Drugs is the first comprehensive reference to offer timely, pertinent information on every drug currently prohibited by law in the United States. It includes their histories, chemical properties and effects, medical uses and recreational abuses, and associated health problems, as well as addiction and treatment information. Additional survey chapters discuss general and historical information on illegal drug use, the effect of drugs on the brain, the war on drugs, drugs in the workplace, the economy and culture of illegal drugs, and information on thirty-three psychoactive drugs that are legal in the United States, from caffeine, alcohol and tobacco to betel nuts and kava kava.
Sets out clear recommendations, based on the best available evidence, for healthcare staff on how to work with people who misuse drugs (specifically opioids, stimulants and cannabis) to significantly improve their treatment and care.
With the legalization of medical marijuana becoming increasingly common in many states, the medicinal potential of formerly illicit drugs has caught the public's attention. However, marijuana is not the only drug being researched and used medicinally: MDMA, psilocybin, and ketamine have been found to have therapeutic qualities, which leads some to question whether the medical use of these substances may also be legal in the future. This volume helps readers explore issues like regulation, the ethics of using illicit drugs in medical and scientific research, and its place in the greater history of drug regulation in the United States.
