According to a toxicology report released Wednesday, actor Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of six prescription meds. The report says he took two anti-anxiety drugs, two sedatives and two painkillers.
You can read the medical report on The Smoking Gun Web site.
Ledger
joins dozens of stars over the years who have died from accidental overdoses.
So much attention is focused in this country on illegal drug use, but prescription drug abuse is huge.
MedlinePlus, a Web site run in part by the National Institutes of Health, says, "An estimated 20
percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons." That's drug abuse.
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reported last year:
Abuse of prescription drugs to get high has become increasingly
prevalent among teens and young adults. Past year abuse of prescription
painkillers now ranks second -- only behind marijuana -- as the nation's
most prevalent illegal drug problem.
The agency stated:
New abusers of prescription drugs have caught up
with the number of new users of marijuana. Much of this abuse appears
to be fueled by the relative ease of access to prescription drugs.
Approximately 60 percent of people who abuse prescription pain killers
indicate that they got their prescription drugs from a friend or
relative for free.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has more information on
trends in prescription drug abuse, breaking it down
by gender and between
adolescents and young adults and
older adults.
The Institute also has tips on
preventing and detecting prescription drug abuse, including the roles of
health care providers,
pharmacists and
patients.
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