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With the speculation surrounding the cause of superstar Whitney Houston’s death, it is imperative to reiterate the risks of combining alcohol with prescription medications including anti-anxiety and pain killing medications.
One person dies from a drug overdose every 19 minutes in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. death rate from drug overdosing has more than tripled in the past decade, making prescription drug abuse the nation’s fastest growing drug problem. This growing problem has been highlighted by high-profile celebrity deaths including Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse. In 2008, there were 36,450 deaths from drug overdoses surpassing the number of Americans killed in car crashes. In 2009, more than 500,000 Americans were seen in the emergency rooms for drug overdoses.
The most commonly abused prescription drugs include opiate painkillers (e.g., Vicodin, Percocet, OxyContin) and sedative anti-anxiety medications (e.g., Valium, Xanax, and Ativan). “Most drug overdoses involve some combination of these medications, and often include alcohol. The opiates and sedatives slow the breathing, and when combined these drugs can slow the breathing to the pointed of completely stopping respiration that results in fatal overdose,” said Mary Jane Chichester, Executive Director of the Women’s Recovery Center.
Although the continued use of the alcohol and prescription medications is dangerous. Cold turkey stopping can also be life threatening. Depending upon the amount, level and duration of the use, suddenly stopping the consumption can cause life threatening withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms of withdrawal that require emergency medical interventions include: seizures, shaking, sweating, severe headache, etc.
Awareness
Following the ABC 20/20 Whitney Houston special, the Women’s Recovery Center worked with WEWS Reporter Debora Lee to increase the awareness of the dangers of combining alcohol and prescription medication and resources that are available in Northeast Ohio. The link to the story is:
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