According to Phillips (2013), there are many deaths in the United States every day due to prescription drug overdose; “around 100 people die every day” (p.79). This is a crucial number of people and significantly high compared to other drug overdoses. Prescription drug abuse has been extremely harmful to American citizens and has not only affected the lives of addicts, but also the lives of their friends and family. Abuses continue to grow each year despite the efforts of many individuals, organizations and state officials. Why does this continue to grow and what are the effects of prescription drug abuse? There are several ways to identify if someone is abusing a drug, and there are many types of drugs that people abuse. There are three ways to determine if someone is abusing prescription medications: the medication is deliberately used without a prescription; the medicine is used in a way not intended by the doctor; and/or for the feelings and experiences created by the drug (Prescription Drug Abuse, 2011). There is a clear difference between abusers and abusers: abusers may use drugs inappropriately, but abusers use drugs inappropriately to get high. There are four categories of prescription drugs: pain relievers (opioids), depressants, stimulants, and sedatives (Prescription Drug Abuse, 2011). Of these, painkillers are by far the most widely used, and some common medications falling into this category are “codone (e.g., Vicodin); oxycodone (eg OxyContin, Percocet); Morphine (eg, Kadian, Avenza); and codeine” (Phillips, 2013, p. 79). Some depressants are Valium, Xanax and Ambien. Two of the most common stimulants are Adderall and Ritalin. It's too easy to b...... middle of paper ...... ed. Drugs are a very controversial subject in the United States, but people who have experienced them know the risks associated with their use and abuse. Although many efforts have been made to stop the rise in prescription drugs, unfortunately, they continue to grow every day. Works CitedPhillips, J. (2013, March) Prescription Drug Abuse: Problems, Political, and Implications.Nursing Outlook, 61(2), 78-84. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2012.06.009Prescription drug abuse. (2011, December). National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www. drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/prescription-drug-abuse Winstanely, EL, Gay, J., Roberts, L., Moseley, J., Hall, O., Beeghly, BC,…Somoza, E. (2012). Prescription drug abuse as a public health problem in Ohio: case report. Public Health Nursing, 29(6), 553-562. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2012.01043.x