Painkiller, How it Effects People Painkiller is a drug or medicine for relieving pain. If you take this drug wrong it could affect you in many ways in which could be harmful. By: Aidan Tarsha

Long-Term effects of painkillers There are a number of unpleasant side effects associated with painkiller abuse. Side effects include nauseam vomiting, and diarrhea, usually caused by the way the drug interacts with opioid receptors along the digestive tract. You can also expect random muscle spasms that occur as a result of the nerves reacting at random to various stimuli.

Short-Term effects of painkiller Most painkiller that are typically abused fall under the opiate category, although tramadol is one that does not. The effects are broadly the same: am intense high that differs depending on the way the drug is taken, a period of partial sedation, and delayed reactions.

Regional STATISTICS OF PAINKILLERS According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Narcotic painkillers are among the most popular prescription drugs in the U.S and the use of them quadrupled between 1999 and 2010. Every year, doctors write about 300 million prescriptions for painkillers. That is enough for every adult American to be medicated around the clock for a month.

National statistics for painkillers Among those using illicit drugs for the first time in 2007, the most popular substances were marijuana and prescription painkiller- each used by roughly the same number of Americans aged 12 and older. One in ten high school seniors in the US admits to abusing prescription painkillers.

Forms of addiction Painkillers are similar to heroin in which heroin is very addicting which is how painkillers could become addicting. While heroin is considered an opiate drug- that is derived from opiate alkaloid substances extracted directly from the opium poppy.

Legal Issues for teens Among teens, prescription drugs are the most commonly used drugs next to marijuana and almost half of the teens abusing prescription drugs are taking painkillers. By survey, almost 50% of teens believe that taking prescription drugs is much safer than using illegal street drugs. Teens should not be aloud to take prescription drugs unless given by a responsible adult or a parent.

Addiction help If you are in need for help then try and call a hotline to try and help with your addiction. Painkillers are routinely prescribed in the United States for the management of pain, but not all of the are addictive. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed for the treatment of mild to moderate pain; however, when the pain becomes more acute, your doctor may prescribe an opiate painkiller. Unfortunately, these have drugs a high potential for abuse and addiction.

Street name for painkillers Some of the street names you might have heard for addictive painkillers might have been Codeine, Morphine, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, or Propoxyphene. Most street names are either shortened versions of the drug’s full name, such as Oxy for oxycodone, or plays on the drug’s name, such as Captain Cody for codeine. Knowing the street names for painkillers may help you determine if your loved one is abusing drugs. For instance, if your loved one is having a seemingly suspicious conversation over the phone, you can listen for the mention of painkiller street names.

Other facts There are also some signs if people are addicted to painkillers or not. Signs such as, continuing to use the substance, even once the prescription is complete, using more than the amount recommended by the doctor, fabricating vague symptoms in an attempt to receive another prescription, being secretive or lying about painkiller use, developing tolerance and needing more pills to achieve the same effects, physical withdrawal symptoms between uses, isolation from friends and family, spending hard earned savings on drug abuse.

Works CITED http://drugabuse.com/library/the-effects-of-painkiller-use/ http://ajbutzfoundation.org/facts/ http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/painkillers/international- statistics.html http://drugabuse.com/library/painkiller-addiction/ http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/painkillers.html http://drugabuse.com/library/how-to-help-a-painkillers-addict/ http://www.drugaddictioncenters.org/faq/what-are-street-names-for- painkillers.html