At the root of the Prescription Drug Abuse epidemic is the reckless prescription of the drugs themselves.
A couple of shocking statistics that we have shared here but bear repeating:
- Purdue Pharmaceuticals revenue for OxyContin alone in 2010 was: $ 3,084,262,027.00
- Number of prescriptions written for Hydrocodone (Vicodin) in the U.S in 2010 was: 106,777,390
- “According to recent estimates, Florida prescribes ten times more oxycodone pills than all other states combined. ” (U.S. Attorney Wifredo A .Ferrer stated recently)
- The United States makes up only 4.6 percent of the world’s population, but consumes 80 percent of its opioids — and 99 percent of the world’s hydrocodone (the opiate that is in Vicodin)
- 1 in 5 U.S. adults taking meds for Psychological Disorders
It’s no wonder that practices like the above have led to rampant prescription drug abuse in the United States.
In order for changes to happen, policies must be changed. Awareness must be raised. That is why StopOxy is here doing what we do.