![]() ![]() Nevertheless, individuals who have none of these risk factors may still become addicted, she added. “If you have more access to a drug, for example to a doctor’s prescription, you are more likely to be exposed to that drug and more likely to get addicted.” “One of the biggest risk factors for addiction that’s often overlooked is simple access,” Lembke said. Some hereditary risk factors include personal or family history with addiction to either opioids or other substances, including alcohol, and co-occurring mental illness, while environmental risk factors include early childhood trauma, poverty and unemployment. Anna Lembke, an associate professor and the chief of addiction medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The simplest definition of addiction is use despite consequences, Alexander said.Īnd while Percocet and other prescription opioids are highly addictive, individuals can have varying risks of addiction based on hereditary and environmental factors, said Dr. Sarah Wakeman, the medical director of the Substance Use Disorder Initiative at Massachusetts General Hospital, said national drug surveys often lump prescription drugs into one category rather than separate them by brand name.Īccording to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimated 54 million people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons at least once. “The opioids as a class are more similar than they are different,” he said.ĭr. Percocet is classified as a Schedule II drug by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which means it a drug with “a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.”Īlexander said it is difficult to obtain accurate statistics on the number of people misusing Percocet because it not uncommon for individuals with an addiction to switch between opioids. In addition to euphoria and pain relief, Percocet may cause drowsiness, constipation, depression, memory problems, decreased testosterone, cardiac problems, bone problems, addiction and death. Those who take the drug may experience both short- and long-term effects. But unfortunately, it’s been vastly overused, as have all opioids.” “And so, for the right patient at the right time, it’s a remarkable medicine. “The value of Percocet or any medicine depends upon how its applied, how it’s used,” he said. Caleb Alexander, an associate professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the co-director of the school’s Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness. Opioid history: From 'wonder drug' to abuse epidemicĪs is true of all medicines, opioids are not inherently good or bad, said Dr. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) John Moore/Getty Images North America/Getty Images The CDC estimates that most new heroin addicts first became hooked on prescription pain medication before graduating to heroin, which is stronger and cheaper. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), announced guidelines for doctors to reduce the amount of opioid painkillers prescribed, in an effort to curb the epidemic. ![]() Communities nationwide are struggling with the unprecidented opioid pain pill and heroin addiction epidemic. NORWICH, CT - MARCH 23: Oxycodone pain pills prescribed for a patient with chronic pain lie on display on Main Norwich, CT. ![]()
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