Overdoses – the Numbers

Unintentional fatal drug overdoses in the United States nearly doubled from 1999 to 2004, and are now the nation's second-leading cause of accidental death, behind automobile crashes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported recently.
Nearly 20,000 people died from accidental drug overdoses in 2004, according to death certificates. CDC researchers believe sedatives and prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin were the chief cause of the increase.

"There is a misperception that because a drug is a prescription medicine, it's safe to use for non-medical reasons. Clearly that is not true," said Dr. Anne Marie McKenzie-Brown, a pain medicine expert at Atlanta's Emory Crawford Long Hospital.

Advice: When you’re done with your Vicodin or OxyContin prescription, toss them down the garbage disposal; you can get another prescription if and when you need it.

Read Mike Stobbe’s full newspaper article.