Does Prescription Pain Medication Abuse Cause Heroin Addiction?

While a lot of people think that addicts started out using marijuana, data suggest that prescription pain medication abuse is more likely to be the culprit. This is a surprising fact and warning as well to those who heavily rely on painkillers.

According to IFL Science, it was U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch who explained that heroin addicts in the country tend to start out using prescription pain medications than marijuana. It was during her speech at Kentucky University that she revealed such fact.

It is important to take note that taking prescription painkillers does not automatically lead to drug addiction. But equally important is the truth that being legal does not equate to being completely harmless.

Moreover, the main culprits are the opioids; which are among the contents of various prescription painkillers. They are generally safe in right amounts. But if people overuse these chemicals, a tolerance to their effects can build up; hence the possibility of addiction. Those who suffer from problematic drug use often resort to street drugs with the aim of satisfying their unquenchable cravings. 

Lynch stressed that in many cases, the household medicine cabinet introduces people to opioids. A recent study suggests that half of women who undergo opioid addiction treatment first tried opioid-based substance through prescription drugs.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that opioids made headlines due to serious adverse effects. According to The New York Times, benzodiazepines taken with opioids can lead to breathing problems, sleepiness, coma, and even death. Benzodiazepines are medications for seizures, insomnia, and anxiety.

National Institute on Drug Abuse defines opioids as pain medications that lower the intensity of pain signals that reach and affect areas of the brain that control emotion. As earlier mentioned, they are generally safe to use in right amounts but can be very harmful if abused. The aforementioned facts indeed serve as reminders that people should be careful when taking painkillers even those deemed legal. Prescription pain medication abuse is a serious matter that can lead to severe negative effects.