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Prescription Drugs Causing More Overdose Deaths

BY KRISTIAN FODEN-VENCIL

Portland, OR  November 20, 2009 3:22 p.m.

The number of Oregonians who die from overdosing on prescription drugs is twice the number who die from heroin or cocaine overdoses, according to the state public health division. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.


Over the last 10 years, the rate of unintentional poisoning deaths in Oregon has more than doubled.

Now, more middle aged people die from drug overdoses than from car crashes.

Often it's because they're taking illegal drugs, but statistically it's more likely that they're on prescription opiates for pain. 

State epidemiologist, Katrina Hedberg, says chronic pain affects about 15 percent of the adult population and opiates like methadone are effective.

Katrina Hedberg: "Part of the problem with methadone, however, is that it has a very long half-life. So it stays in the body for a very long time. and so some patients may not be aware of how much of this they have in their system. So they are dying of overdoses of this medication."

Recent data from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency show that Oregon distributes more methadone per capita through pharmacies, than any other state in the nation.

And there's a close parallel between the amount of methadone distributed and the overdose death rate.

© 2009 OPB

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Comments

November 20, 2009
10:14 p.m.
Pretty incredible, PhARMA drugs more deadly than street drugs or car crashes... And absolutely no, not one cannabis overdose. As matter of course, LE and some of Oregon's politicians and business leaders are not up at arms trying to shut down drug factories like Phizer or Merck or any other legal poison producer. They are willing to waste tax payer money trying to repel the OMMA, passed and re-passed by the People of Oregon. Yet, Law Enforcement and Business interests like AOI, Associated Oregon Industries, and others are willing to ignore the first words of the act stating that we, the people of Oregon, deem Cannabis as medicine and should be treated as all other medications prescribed here in our state. They want to waste over $2,000,000/day forcing all 25,000+ patients to take up to 4 doses of PhARMA produced synthetic THC instead of allowing them to grow their own medicine for no cost to the taxpayer and way less cost to patients in both money and unhealthy, possibly fatal, side affects. Stupid and ignorant Police officers and Business owners are not medical providers and do not know what they are talking about or asking people to do. Support I-28 to establish dispensaries in Oregon!

— Posted by KGByers

November 21, 2009
8:54 p.m.
Methadone is a killer. The idea that 15% of our population needs such a heavy narcotic is nuts. The solution for pain is to find the cause and not treat the symptoms with methadone. Read about the deaths caused by methadone. Steve http://novusdetox.com

— Posted by Detoxer


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