Prescription drug abuse paves wide path to illicit drug use

America’s war on street drugs routinely garners headlines but much less attention is given to the problem with prescription drug abuse, despite the fact that it is more widespread than abuse of all types of illicit drugs combined, excepting only marijuana. And despite their therapeutic purposes, controlled prescription drugs can be just as deadly as heroin, cocaine or other street drugs.

“Americans are so accustomed to trusting the medical community that they don’t have the same sense of danger about these drugs that they do with street drugs,” stated Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions at Nar...