The Dangers of Prescription Drugs

Memphis, Tn - TMZ is reporting that Whitney Houston's death may be from prescription drugs and now the origin of where she obtained the prescriptions is being investigated.

Popping pills has become many people's drug of choice.

A Memphis man we spoke with wanted to remain anonymous because his employers and family don't know he uses prescription drugs for recreation.

"I've almost never really been prescribed any of them." He says he bought them on the street from a friend.

His drug of choice is a downer, Lortab. Addiction specialist doctor Anne Payne-Johnson says Lortab, Xanax, and Adderol are the three most commonly abused pharmaceuticals.

"They want a medicine to bring them up in the morning, a medicine to put them down at night, a medicine that fixes everything in between. And it just doesn't work like that. Eventually you just spiral into bad addiction and med shopping," she says.

Going to multiple doctors for prescriptions is med shopping. Med shopping or buying pharmaceuticals on the street are signs you have a problem.

There are also tell-tale signs to watch out for in loved ones.

With sedatives, like Valium or Xanax, you may also notice drowsiness, and poor judgment.

With pain killers such as Oxycodone, Lortab or Vicodin you could see depression or confusion.

With Adderal abuse, common with college students, watch for weight loss and insomnia.
Dr. Payne-Johnson says people often think these drugs are safer than street drugs because they are a prescription, but they are not.

"You are going to die from prescription drugs, because you're heart can only take so much."

The downward spiral looks just like any other drug problem.

Derek Lehman says he has fired at least 20 people because of prescription drug abuse. He owns a computer part warehouse, and they've never done drug screening. But, he says they may start.

"I think it is the worst drug problem we have in America. Why? Because they are easier to get, less risk of getting in trouble for the high they get off it," says Lehman.

Our anonymous prescription drug user agrees. He also says it's cheaper, at just 5 to 7 dollars a pill, even cheaper than that, if you can get a legitimate prescription. He says pharmaceuticals have become a very popular party drug.

"On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being very common, I'd say 4 or 5. I would say it happens pretty often."

He says it's becoming very popular with high school students.