Prescription Pill Abuse Kills
By: Brooke Chavez
Updated: June 26, 2009
Prescription pills can be just as addictive and deadly as street drugs when abused and experts say the issue isn't getting the attention it deserves until it's too late. Reports suggest that demerol, a prescription painkiller similar to morphine, might have been the cause of Michael's Jackson's cardiac arrest. Rehab counselor Bob Howell says prescription drugs are popular because they're easy to get and they don't seem as dangerous as street drugs. "What we see with some patients is they will go to multiple doctors and get additional sources cause every physician that I know is reluctant to prescribe them in excessive amounts."
