Opiates
The abuse of opiates started back in the 1900's. Throughout these years the abuse has become advanced. Marvin D. Seppala M.D. a chief medical officer stated in his book Prescription Painkillers: History, Pharmacology, and Treatment. "Drugs have been used for millennia in their natural form." “These agents were reprocessed and made more widely available in highly refined and far more potent forms- among them morphine and heroin (refined from opium leaves) and cocaine (from coco leaves) (p8)." Although prescription painkillers are legal in the United States with a prescription from a physician, many Americans are oblivious about the tremendous negative effect opiates have on one’s health mentally and physically. In the 1900's in United States Americans could get opium and morphine freely for whatever reasons they wanted. (Seppala M.D.) “In the 1900's, United States use to be described as a dope fiend's paradise (Rose M.A.)"By the end of the 19th century millions of Americans were regularly using opioids"(p24). This cycle still has not changed because today in 2013 "these medications are readily available and many people naively believe they are safe for recreational use because they are prescribed."(Intro) People have a tremendous appetite for illegal drugs and substances even though she or he may know the consequence of their actions. (Seppala M.D.) A few years ago teenagers would have chosen marijuana to be their first drug to try but opiates are now chosen by people 12 and older over marijuana as their first high. (Seppala M.D.) Now a day’s most Americans take prescription medications for any old reason. In the article 18 Crazy Facts Which Show That No Nation On Earth Is More Doped Up On Prescription Drugs Than America Is Michael Synder says, " more than 25 percent of all children and teens in the U.S. take prescription drugs on the daily basis." Years ago it was not like this no one really had any diseases and if a person was sick they were told to sweat