Issue date: 5/13/09 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Martin Wood [Click to enlarge]

It sure is convenient to live in a society where the solution to any problem can be found in the medicine cabinet.

Feeling sad? There's a pill for that. Need more energy? There's a pill for that. Feeling the natural feelings that come along with being human? There's a pill for that, too.

Prescription medications have become quite popular. From Anna Nicole Smith trying to stay skinny and happy - to a college student trying to stay up and write a paper - medications have become the universal fix-all.

Being a college student, I know the temptation and the availability of drugs. I see how easy it could be to fix my world with a pill. I know that I could easily go into my parent's bathroom and take what I need. But I choose not to.

I have watched worlds crumble from drug abuse. I have experienced the damage of being close to someone that would trade you for a high. And I have seen and felt the wrath of what so many consider safe drugs. But there is no safe drug.

Maureen Ferrell, junior English literature major, has been a clean and sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous since 1990. She asked that her real name not be used to protect the tradition of anonymity in these organizations. Throughout her life and her time in the program, Ferrell has noticed the sad reality of prescription drug abuse. One particular problem Ferrell has noticed is how easy it is to get a prescription.

"Doctors don't even talk to people anymore. They prescribe," Ferrell said.

Of course this is an overgeneralization; Doctors are not bad people, and not all of them are guilty of overprescribing their patients.

But times have certainly changed for the medical industry. Doctors have limited time to spend on their many patients. The unfortunate result of this is the prescription medication problem that has become so prevalent.

While doctors have many faults, they cannot be held entirely responsible. The abuse of a drug comes down to the individual. Medications do have to pass certain standards; it's when they are misused or abused that they become so dangerous.

"To get approval from the FDA, a pharmaceutical company has to prove that the drug can be safely used under the supervision of a physician. However, if the drug is used illegally, this safety mechanism is not in place. The drug can be used more often or in greater amounts than has been proven to be safe or in unsafe combination with other drugs," said Jeffrey Calton, associate professor of psychology.

Our society has put so much trust in medicine and medical practitioners that we forget the hazards that come with any drug.

Prescription medications are drugs, and like any other drug, they are dangerous. Under the right circumstances they can be helpful, but when abused they can be extremely harmful and addictive.

"It makes sense that people would assume that prescription medications have been proven to be safe. Prescription medications could be seen as more legit than heroin - for instance - or cocaine, but they are not always safer," Calton said.

The abuse of prescription drugs can be just as devastating as the use of illegal drugs. Our society is drug-happy and ready to prescribe anything to anyone. But as I have said before and I will say again, the decision comes down to the individual.

The choice is yours. The risk is yours. But the pain is shared with those who love you.

Leidhra Johnson can be reached at ljohnson@statehornet.com

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