Three-fourths of overdose deaths in Georgia linked to prescription pills, study shows

By Staff Writer

Recent data reveals that 75 percent of the overdose deaths in Georgia outside of the metro Atlanta area were caused by prescription drugs.

According to the Rome News-Tribune, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports that 508 deaths were linked to over-the-counter medication. A coroner told the news source that a lot of the overdose cases were young people.

A doctor at a Georgia hospital said that painkiller abuse is common because the amount one uses tends to increase over time.

“Over time the effectiveness of the pain medicine to kill pain diminishes,” the doctor said. “The effectiveness to stop your breathing doesn’t.”

The commander of an anti-drug task force in Georgia said that a lot of teenagers are stealing pills from their parents' medicine cabinets. Prescription drugs are more accessible to children than other recreational drugs, but they can be just as addictive as illegal drugs such as meth or crack, the commander said.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, prescription drug abuse by teens exceeds marijuana use.