Research Paper on:
Abuse of Prescription Drugs

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Mepergan) 2. Stimulants ("Uppers") * Methylphenidate (Ritalin) * Amphetamine (Dexedrine, Adderall) 3, Sedative-hypnotics ("Downers") * Diazepam (Valium) * Alprazolam (Xanax aka Zanax) * Lorazepam (Activan) (Schick Shadel Hospital, nd, PG).  Opiates, or opioids, are prescribed to relieve pain; they can also be used to relieve diarrhea and coughs. They are narcotics and addictive if misused. These drugs work by  "attaching to specific proteins called opioid receptors, which are found in the brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract. When these drugs attach to certain opioid receptors, they can block the  transmission of pain messages to the brain" (National Institute on Drug Abuse PG). The major side effect is drowsiness but they can also cause constipation and interfere with respiration. The  reason they are abused is due to the euphoric feeling they create. They do this by affecting specific regions of the brain that stimulates pleasure (National Institute on Drug Abuse,  2001). This is why these are the most commonly abused prescription drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates there are nine million Americans over the age of 12  who use a variety of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, four million of these had reported abuse in the month prior to the survey. The drugs reported as being used  included opiods, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives (PG). There are certain trends that have been found related to age groups. For instance, research suggests that 17 percent of persons aged  60 and older either abuse or misuse the prescription medications. The drugs that are most concerning for this age group include "the benzodiazepines such as Valium, Xanax or Halcion. Such  drugs effectively treat anxiety and sleep disorders, common problems among the elderly" (Fackelmann 2001, 07D). Doctors report these are easy drugs to misuse and abuse. Abuse causes a variety of