For the first time in history, more people died last year from prescription drug overdose than from accidental overdose of illegal drugs, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reports that overdose deaths have “skyrocketed” in the past decade, largely because of prescription painkillers. Most of these pills are prescribed for a medical purpose, but many end up in the hands of people who misuse or abuse them. “Prescription drug abuse is the new killer for young and middle-aged people,” said Dr. Christopher Boe, emergency room physician and medical director of the Emergency Department at Altru Health System in
Full Article >
