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Florida Reports Prescription Drugs Killing Far More People than Illicit Drugs
June 16, 2008

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News Summary

The Florida Medical Examiners Commission says that autopsies show that prescription drugs kill three times more people in Florida than all illicit drugs combined, the New York Times reported June 14.

Blame for the trend was laid at abuse of prescription drugs. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, more than the combined number of users of cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy and inhalants.

Of the 168,900 deaths examined, legal opioids like Vicodin and OxyContin caused 2,328. Benzodizepines like Valium and Xanax caused 743 deaths.

Illicit drugs caused 989 deaths. Alcohol was present in the bodies of 4,179 of the dead, and alcohol was considered the cause of death in 466 cases, compared to 843 deaths caused by cocaine, 25 deaths attributed to methamphetamine, and no deaths attributed to marijuana. 

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:
(Comments now appear first to last)

Posted by AngryAmerican626 on 17 Jun 08 11:40 AM EDT
What about all the other prescription drugs? I've heard Chantix is killing a lot more people than they're telling. Or Johnson & Johnson birth control patch that's killed many women because the estrogen was too high. Report on the drugs that are legitimately prescribed that are killing people, please. Your numbers indicate 4,928 drug abuses. What of the other nearly 164,000 deaths? THAT'S where your focus obviously should be.

Posted by David Macmaster on 17 Jun 08 01:24 PM EDT
I assume the 466 alcohol deaths reported were those that over-dosed on alcohol and not the alcohol deaths from suicide, homicide, cirhossis and all the other health related problems either caused or related to the use of alcohol.

Posted by Dhiana on 24 Jun 08 11:32 PM EDT
Does anyone know the time frame of the deaths inthis article?

Posted by Bonnie on 25 Jun 08 04:41 PM EDT
Prescription Opiates are killing more of our young people than all other drugs. They also lead to, and are fueling the Heroin epidemic, since it is the cheapest, most readily available opiate of all. Why have we not noticed that the drug companies like Purdue (maker of OxyContin and others have flooded the general public (ignorant of the deadly danger these drugs pose and the horrific disease of addiction caused by them) - all for the almighty dollar! They are directly profiting from your kid's addiction. Doctors dole these pills out wrecklessly, to adolescents "who use Tylenol for pain, Percocet and Vicodin to get high". Our use and overuse of these drugs has become the norm, and we have created this epidemic of addiction and deaths ourselves by making these drugs available to our young people through ignorance and carelessness. It is time we stopped accepting these deadly drugs as if they were harmless - they kill and destroy lives and families. Wake up!! and become proactive in keping these drugs out of the reach of our kids!

Posted by Paul, Mass on 10 Jul 08 08:30 AM EDT
Why do we need to train doctors for an additional 8 hours to use suboxone, which has not killed anyone to my knowlege and we continue to let anyone with a dea number perscribe methadone

Posted by Donald B Parsons on 10 Jul 08 08:49 AM EDT
and NO deaths attributed to marijuana. Ain't that just a kick in the head?

Posted by Carlos on 16 Sep 08 12:13 AM EDT
I am with Paul,MASS why are there such a big deal of need for an 8 hours course to prescribe suboxen. Also why are we in trouble with Methadone, when in Belgium any family practitioner can prescribe 30 days of methadone to addicts and as far as I can tell not many addicts have been dieing from it. I have look for the information and have not found them having the same problems we have in the united states.

Posted by Carlos on 16 Sep 08 12:17 AM EDT
With all due respect Bonnie, I am not too sure that you are thinking clearly. I am not sure that all of your information is accurate. You are comming accross a little histeric. We need to have clear information not emotinal outburst of crying and overconcern. I know that death are not something to not be concerned about. I am just concern about the way you are expressing it and whether the information is accurate. We should be flueling over and over regulatory and legal statuses. If we do not think clearly we can not resolve the problem

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