Three different classes of prescriptions are most susceptible to abuse: Stimulants: most commonly prescribed for attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder Opiates: most often prescribed to treat severe or chronic pain Tranquilizers / sedatives: frequently prescribed to treat anxiety disorders or sleep disorders

Drug-seeking behaviors are the primary warning signs of prescription drug abuse, regardless of the chemical make up of the medication. These behaviors include: Frequent requests for refills from physicians, losing prescriptions and requesting replacements regularly, crushing or breaking pills, stealing or borrowing prescription medications from family members, friends, or co-workers, consuming prescriptions much faster than indicated, visiting multiple doctors for similar conditions, inconsistent answers to questions about prescription usage, stealing or forging prescriptions, consumption of over-the-counter drugs for the same conditions that a doctor has prescribed other medication, ordering prescription medications over the internet.

Other behavior patterns would also include noticeable mood swings corresponding to availability or absence of prescription drugs changing sleep patterns, increasing irritability, especially when prescriptions are unavailable and more frequent alcohol consumption.

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS Loss of appetite Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature Dilation of pupils

Disturbed sleep patterns Nausea Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior Hallucinations, hyper excitability, irritability Panic and psychosis Convulsions, seizures and death from high doses

LONG-TERM EFFECTS Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain, high blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes and death Liver, kidney and lung damage Destruction of tissues in nose if sniffed Respiratory (breathing) problems if smoked Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected Malnutrition, weight loss Disorientation, apathy, confused exhaustion Strong psychological dependence Psychosis Depression Damage to the brain including strokes and possibly epilepsy

Data: Prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused category of drugs, behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs. The National Institutes of Health estimates that nearly 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.

About 43 percent of hospital emergency admissions for drug overdoses (nearly 500,000 people) happened because of misused prescription drugs. This type of drug abuse is increasing partially because of the availability of drugs, including online pharmacies that make it easier to get the drugs without a prescription, even for minors.

There may also be a perception, especially among younger people, that prescription drugs are safer than illegal street drugs. The number of teens and young adults (ages 12 to 25) who were new abusers of prescription painkillers grew from 400,000 in the mid-80s to 2 million in 2000, New misusers of tranquilizers, which are normally used to treat anxiety or tension, increased nearly 50 percent between 1999 and 2000 alone. In a study of students in Wisconsin and Minnesota, 34 percent of kids diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) said they had been approached to sell or trade their Ritalin or Adderall, two drugs commonly used to treat symptoms of ADHD. Conclusion: Prescription drug should be illegal because they are the most addictive of all the drugs. Also data shows that this addiction is exponentially increasing among children as young as 12 years of age. Also because they are available, people tend to abuse them more often since they know they can get their hands on more and not apparently the process does not take very long and all they need is a piece of paper signed by a doctor who primary motivation is money. Also, prescription drugs have the worst side effects both long term and short term. They provoke users to act irrationally when they need they get high, whey they are high or when they are experiencing the hangover of the drug.