Yet opioids aren’t the only issue. About 80,000 people per year are treated in emergency rooms from taking too much acetaminophen, the common drug in Tylenol. The drug is now the cause of the largest number of liver failures in the country.

THE HEALTH RISKS

The biggest issue with opioids and over-the-counter painkillers is the tendency to take more and more to achieve the same relief. The body develops a tolerance to drugs over time, and when handfuls of pills are taken with alcohol or drugs, complications can happen.

Breathing rates can be lowered, blood pressure can go down, and eventually the two combine to eliminate breathing and send the victim into a coma. Beyond that, there’s a compulsive need for more and more, which can lead to risky behaviors in exchange for drugs, poor work or school performance, and hanging out with fellow addicts to plan getting more drugs. Liver failure, memory issues, and withdrawal symptoms when drugs aren’t available are just some of the health risks. Combine those with underlying health issues like heart problems, liver or kidney problems, and blood pressure issues, and you have a formula for disaster.

Drug problems occur when medications are taken in amounts or in ways that a doctor did not prescribe. Or the patient goes against the directions on the label of the over-the-counter medication. Addiction can take people by surprise, and a person may not realize that his or her craving or psychological dependency is the classic sign of drug addiction.

MOST COMMONLY ABUSED

For the reasons previously mentioned, Opioids, including oxycodone (which includes OxyContin and Roxicodone) and any drugs containing hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, Norco), are leading the American drug abuse train.