The new face of drug addiction in America includes people like Debra Jones, a stay-at-home mother of three who became addicted to a prescription drug that was prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis.  It also includes Lia Johnson, a former nurse who was arrested for prescription fraud when she tried to get more of the painkillers she had become addicted to.  Both of these women and thousands of other people have seen their lives turned upside down by a dependence on prescription drugs that quickly spiraled out of control.

Debra Jones, who lives in North Carolina, had been taking Percocet for several years when a friend suggested she begin crushing the pills to increase their effectiveness.  Percocet is an oxycodone-based drug that is classified as a narcotic by the FDA.  Jones enjoyed the rush and burst of energy the crushed pills provided and before too long had doubled her prescribed daily dosage.  Soon she was unable to get through the day without the drug.  She repeatedly failed when she tried to stop taking it on her own.

Lia Johnson was a member of the nursing staff at a hospital in Virginia when she suffered a work-related back injury and began taking hydrocodone for pain instead of undergoing expensive surgery.  When a close relative was killed in a car crash, she began take more of the drug to ease her emotional pain.  Within a few months she was taking at least 40 pills a day and using her knowledge as a nurse to call in fake prescriptions to drugstores.  She was arrested, convicted of multiple counts of prescription fraud and sentenced to 4 months in jail.

Jones and Johnson are examples of the changing demographic for people addicted to drugs.  Due to a recent escalation in prescription drug abuse, today’s drug addict is likely to be middle class, college educated and employed.  Many drug experts are not surprised that prescription pain killers are being abused.  According to David Zvara, anesthesiology chair at the University of North Carolina Hospitals, “There are lots of the drugs around, and they’re relatively easy to get.”

Americans are heavier than ever and the general population is aging.  More of them are asking doctors for relief from chronic pain in their backs and joints.  At the same time, new narcotic painkillers like OxyContin have been introduced into the marketplace and are being widely prescribed by doctors.  According to USA Today, recent surveys have found that about 5% of Americans admit to using a prescription narcotic in the past month.

Unfortunately, a segment of the population is genetically predisposed to addiction to narcotic drugs.  People who are depressed or under stress are also at higher risk of becoming addicted to narcotic painkillers.  Many people come to rely on the psychological boost they receive from painkillers even after their physical pain has abated.  Prescription drug addicts will visit multiple doctors for painkiller prescription or may turn to buying illegal prescription drugs on the street.  Some, like Lia Johnson, will turn to crime even though they have no criminal record

Christopher Gharibo, director of pain medicine at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, recommends that people with chronic pain lasting more than 3 months should consult a pain management specialist who will monitor their drug use and help them avoid addiction. 

Both Debra Jones and Lia Johnson received residential treatment for their addiction and are now living drug-free.  Johnson served her jail time, but is barred from employment as a nurse for 5 years.  Debra Jones made this comment about her Percocet addiction to USA Today, “I can’t tell you how good it feels to be off it.  I never dreamed it could be so addictive or dangerous.  It’s something you don’t know about until you live it.”