National Safety Dose Day 2023: Date, History, Disadvantages of Painkillers

National Safety Dose Day is annually celebrated on May 15. It seeks to emphasise the importance of taking prescription medications responsibly in order to prevent health risks such as addiction and death. About 20% of those who visit their doctor for pain-relieving medication are prescribed an opioid or narcotic. Unfortunately, prescriptions for narcotics are excessive. Doctor-prescribed opioids lead to addiction or progression to more hazardous substances such as heroin. Poisoning from opioids has surpassed automobile accidents as the leading cause of accidental mortality in the United States. From 1999 to 2019, nearly half a million persons died from opioid overdoses.

The background of National Safety Dose Day

Opiates, which are derived from the poppy plant, have existed for thousands of years. The recreational use of opium in early 19th-century Britain was at an all-time high. Codeine and morphine are examples of opium-derived substances. Morphine, named after Morpheus, the Greek deity of dreams, is an extremely potent analgesic that is also highly addictive. Opioids are frequently prescribed for moderate to severe pain because they block pain signals between the brain and the body. Additionally, it can improve your mood and physical health. Because of this, individuals are prone to develop an addiction to it. Many believe that narcotics are the best way to treat pain, but ibuprofen and naproxen are equally effective and nonaddictive alternatives. Not only do they abuse prescription medications, but they also obtain painkillers from acquaintances and family. In the United States, sharing prescription drugs is prohibited, but many people are unaware of this fact.

Other adverse effects of analgesics include constipation, drowsiness, nausea, slowed respiration, and confusion. Long-term use of opioid analgesics in high quantities can lead not only to drug addiction but also to drug poisoning. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, there were 4,3 million nonmedical painkiller consumers in 2014. Nearly two million people had medication dependency disorders.

In addition to painkillers like morphine, codeine, OxyContin, and Vicodin, there are numerous other commonly abused substances. Also abused are sedatives and tranquillizers prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders. This list also contains ADHD medications like Adderall, Dexedrine, and Ritalin. Regardless of your malady, it is essential to adhere to your doctor’s medication recommendations.

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5 DISADVANTAGES OF PAINKILLERS

Opioid medications are effective for short-term usage, such as post-surgery pain management.

If you previously took a high dose of pills, halted, and then decided to take the same dose again, you could accidentally overdose on your medication.

Both can induce drowsiness and impede you twice as much.

Numerous individuals become dependent on prescription painkillers despite the medications’ mental and physical side effects.

There is no evidence that long-acting drugs are less addictive, but even at recommended doses, they are more likely to cause an overdose.

NATIONAL SAFETY DOSE DAY DATES