An addiction to prescription drugs can be just as dangerous and damaging to a person’s life, health and psyche as one to illegal drugs. Some prescription medications are just as powerful and addicting as any drug available on the street. It is that sense that prescription meds aren’t quite as bad as street drugs that snare many people, at least initially. However, this isn’t the only reason that this form of drug abuse has skyrocketed in recent years. Convenience, safety, expense and lack of stigma, are other motivators for prescription medication abuse.

Convenience: It is quite convenient to be able to walk over to ones medicine cabinet or open up ones purse and get high off of its contents. It is definitely a lot easier then calling up a dealer or driving to a seedy part of town to score drugs.

Safety: Dealing with drug dealers and those deep into that lifestyle can be scary. Instead of dealing with the possibilities of what might go wrong or becoming victimized, individuals get prescription medications from their doctor and get high off of those. They don’t have to worry about interacting with dealers or other addicts. 

Expense: If a person has insurance, they may be able to get an entire month’s worth of drugs in exchange for a relatively, small co-pay. Conversely, if they were to buy an entire month’s stash on the street, they would likely end up paying much more. Now, financial issues can come into play if a person is attempting to secure multiple subscriptions. Having to pay multiple co-pays can get costly. Also, some individuals may be forced to pay for meds out of their own pocket to avoid raising the suspicion of their insurance company. If an insurance company is billed multiple times for the same medication, this will undoubtedly raise red flags.

Lack of Stigma: Most people do not want to be viewed as a drug addict. Some people who abuse prescription drugs don’t see themselves as such. For them it is all about semantics. They would rather be labeled as someone who has a prescription drug addiction then someone hooked on cocaine, crack or heroin. Prescription drug abuse is looked at with less disdain. In fact, many people feel sorry for these types of addicts, assuming somehow that it isn’t the abuser’s fault and instead blaming the power of the drug.

People addicted to street drugs don’t typically get the same type of sympathy or benefit of the doubt. They are typically seen as the root of the problem. It is their fault that they have become addicted to drugs. Because of this, some people will elect to use prescription drugs to get high instead of street drugs. The truth is, both can be incredibly dangerous and destructive.