ARE HIGHWAYS BECOMING SAFER THAN DRUGS?

Statistics released in the United States reveal that in 16 states -
or almost one-third - drug overdoses will kill more people than car accidents.

According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the drug-related
death rate has doubled in less than 10 years.

And we are not talking about heroin or hard drugs necessarily but
prescription drugs, many of which are being abused.

Although it is true cocaine and heroin are common overdose killers,
most of the increase is due to prescribed opiates such as methadone,
Oxycontin and Vicodin.

Worse, death rates rose for all age groups.

Our neighbours working in Seattle reported half the deaths from
overdoses came from legal prescriptions.

Researchers believe the rising death rate may be caused by the change
in how doctors prescribe painkillers.

It is estimated about one in five U.S. adults and one in 10
adolescents are prescribed an opiate each year.

Although 90 per cent of the deaths accounted for in the study came
from sudden death due to overdoses, about 10 per cent of the deaths
was caused by organ damage inflicted by long-term opiate use.

The study did not count other drug-related deaths such as accidents
caused by impairment or HIV infection resulting from the abuse of
injected drugs.

In Massachusetts, there was double the number of drug fatalities
compared with traffic deaths, while Michigan had about 500 more drug
deaths than vehicle fatalities.

In New York, drugs killed 350 more people than car accidents.

Is this the picture for Canada, especially British Columbia?

The best guess is "no," but it is difficult to ferret out numbers.

One advantage the B.C. medical system has is the computerized
database that emergency rooms and other physicians can access to
determine if someone is receiving narcotics on a regular basis and
from more than one physician - an indication of abuse.

Despite the checks and balances, prescription painkillers are abused
on a regular basis and it becomes very difficult for patients with
legitimate pain, as the dosage of the narcotic has to increase over
time to have the same painkilling effect.

But, as many people now know, taking pain killers over extended
periods of time not only causes addiction, damages internal organs,
and causes impairment in driving or other activities, but it also
increases peoples' perception of pain.

They begin to suffer more.

Prescribed narcotics are widely sold on the street, and sometimes
morphine and codeine have been reported for sale for as little as
three dollars each.

Low prices mean supply is readily available and something to be
concerned about.

If you require narcotics to manage your pain, talk to your physician
about alternative ways to manage pain.

In many studies, meditation and hypnosis proved as effective - for
some people moreso - than narcotics.

Thank you for reading Mental Health Matters and write to us about
your thoughts on prescribed narcotics a Kamloops@cmha.bc.ca