Drug Strategy Questioned as Prescription Drug Abuse Increases

Politicians and law enforcement are beginning to rethink their focus on illegal drugs—their manufacture, trafficking, and dealing. Illegal drugs cause all kinds of havoc, from cartel violence in Mexico to gang warfare in US cities. But, despite all the energy and attention that illegal drugs get (marijuana, heroin, meth, cocaine, and others), the abuse of legal drugs is turning into a bigger problem. And it’s harder for lawmakers and police officers to deal with.

“The policies the United States has had for the last 41 years have become irrelevant,” said Morris Panner, an adviser at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Often it’s just easier and cheaper for Americans to get prescription drugs such as valium, xanax, ambien, roofies, rohypnol, codeine, oxycontin, and others. The usage rates of most illegal drugs have dropped (with the exception of marijuana) even as prescription drug abuse rates have skyrocketed. One thing is clear: lawmakers and law enforcement are going to have to change their plans if they’re going to combat the changing nature of the drug trade.

If you think you or someone you know might have a problem with abusing prescription medications or painkillers, you should seek help before you something bad happens. Thankfully, there is good help out there. Medications and cognitive-behavioral therapy have proven to be effective in treating drug dependence. It’s very important to find the right treatment center, that’s why at Seabrook, we customize our treatment plans to individual patient’s needs, so you know the help you’re getting is right for you or a loved one. Seabrook has rehabilitation centers in New Jersey (NJ), Pennsylvania (PA), and an outpatient center in New York (NY). Contact Seabrook today for any questions about drugs, addiction, and treatment.