Stop the Stairway to Destruction

Commentary Editor

   Since hearing a tragic story recently of a young man dying from mixing alcohol and prescription drugs, I felt maybe I could possibly deter another person from attempting or continuing this stairway to destruction.

   The Office of National Drug Control Policy ranks prescription drug abuse a close second place only to marijuana. Most abusers of prescription drugs do not realize the medication they are abusing is just as harmful as illegal drugs. Even sadder, deaths occur unintentionally because the person does not know what effects may occur if they take too much or mix these prescription drugs with alcohol or another drug.

   There are three main classes of prescription drugs commonly abused:

• Opioids such as codeine, oxycodone and morphine.
• Depressants such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines.
• Stimulants such as dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate.
  

   Wierdly enough, I know what all these medicines are because I was married to a prescription-drug abuser and alcoholic at one time in my life. So from observation, here is what I know about the mentioned drugs:

   Codeine is found in drugs such as cough medicine, and Oxycodone and morphine are pain killers. These are the ones that can put you into a deep sleep and can suffocate you while you catch your Z’s because they slow down your breathing.

   In the depressant group, we have barbiturates. The ones I know are Luminal and Nembutal. These lovely colored pills can also cause Prince Charming to forget the kiss needed to wake you from your slumber. Let’s see… Benzodiazepines, better known as “benzos,” are drugs such as the infamous Xanax, Valium and Klonopin, which basically make you not give a damn and when mixed with alcohol can lead you to having a breathing tube shoved down your trachea.

   That’s pleasant now isn’t it?

   Stimulants are medications that rev you up, such as Ritalin for Attention Deficit Disorder and Pseudoephedrine, a simple decongestant. These seem harmless, but can cause seizures and a comatose state if taken in excess.

   I sometimes ask myself, "Why?"

    That answer is simple. It’s because their friends are doing it and they want to fit in. It's one thing to take medicine for a condition, prescribed to you, and in the right dosage, but don’t steal grandma’s pain killers she received for pain from hip surgery. Some people claim they abuse prescription drugs because it helps them deal with their “problems.” Well, if you don’t die from it and have no further problems, when you come back to the real world the problem still exists.

   Here’s a thought. Why not use that mass inside your skull to figure out a solution to the problem. A solution could be going to a counselor, talking to your parents or even a teacher. Heck, anyone who is responsible enough to head you in the right direction.

   You may look cool to your peers, but you don’t look so cool lying in a hospital bed with wires and tubes coming out of every orifice in your body while you lie in a coma. You also aren’t going to be pimpin' and working your mojo if you are stuck in a casket.

   Fact is, you’re not only harming yourself, but also the ones that care about you. For example, I am divorced and if that is the mildest repercussion one can receive then hooray, at least for now. The cycle will continue for those who don’t seek help.

   Young people seem to think they will never die and it’s all in fun. It’s not fun watching someone you care about destroy themselves before your very eyes. If you have this problem, our campus has a counselor, Laura Hughes in Harris Hall on the second floor. If you know someone abusing prescription drugs, talk to them about counseling or get them to at least call The Drug Addiction Crisis and Referral Hotline at 1-888-268-9124.
  

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