Transitions Recovery Program – Make The Call That Can Save a Life! 800-626-1980
Everyone is aware of the fact that drug use in the United States is growing at an unprecedented rate. What most people fail to realize, however, is that a large majority of the people who are experimenting with drugs in the United States today are becoming addicted to dangerous drugs of all kinds.
The reasons for the increased use of drugs in the United States are many. Primarily, however, most people are experimenting with and are ultimately becoming addicted to drugs because of their easy availability. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) conducted recently shows that over 7 million people in the United States alone were affected by a drug use disorder.
With drug use increasing in the country at an alarming rate, it is important to know which prevalent drugs are the most dangerous and how they can affect the human body so that people can stay clear of them.
The most dangerous drugs in America today
Heroin
Classified as a schedule I drug by the Controlled Substances Act, heroin is one of the most addictive drugs in the country with an exhaustive list of side effects and withdrawal symptoms. Since it is not used as widely as other drugs, most people do not consider heroin to top the list of the most dangerous drugs in the country. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals who are addicted to drugs like cocaine and marijuana are very likely to become addicted to heroin as well.
Although the use of heroin is not as common as tobacco which is consumed by nearly 22% of the population according to research by the University of Adelaide, the number of heroin users is rising at a rate which will prove to be extremely dangerous. The American Society of Addiction Medicine has reported that 586,000 people in the United States alone struggled with heroin-related substance disorders in 2016.
Cocaine
To give you an estimate about how common cocaine has become, statistics show nearly 2500 new people in the United States try cocaine every day! What’s more is that the drug has been proven to cause nearly thrice as many deaths as any illegal drug in the country. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of deaths caused by cocaine in 2015 increased 42% in comparison to the deaths which occurred due to cocaine abuse in 2014.
Prescription drugs
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, prescription drugs in the United States are known to cause more deaths than cocaine and heroin combined! Often, people who use painkillers become addicted to opioids because they are highly effective and provide practically instant pain relief.
The rate at which prescription drugs are being abused in the United States is nothing short of alarming. People in the United States are known to consume about 90% of the hydrocodone which is produced in the world. Long-term abuse of hydrocodone has extremely dangerous consequences like liver damage and jaundice, and can even drive an individual into a coma or towards death.
Read this post to learn more about the most common addictions that are plaguing our communities today so that we can have a fighting chance. As always, you can call us at 800-626-1980 to get immediate help.
