Prescription Drug abuse

[Carla25]

I am doing a teaching plan to a group of women at a local prison, My clinical group chose the topic Health problems associated with substance abuse.

We all got one topic to discuss and mine is: prescription drug abuse: Barbiturates and tranqulizers. Does anyone have anything interesting to add so I don't bore my audience?:bowingpur

Thanks

Anything, even something to get the inmates involved in the teaching session

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Something I can tell you about barbiturate addiction that most people probably don't know (well, maybe addicts know!) is that as you become addicted it takes more and more of the drug to satisfy the person's need--and you can't and miss doses. Years ago we heard of people who had to take up to 50 capsules of Tuinal just to get their high (actually their low)! There is also a very narrow line of error between satisfying their addiction need and overdose in addicts taking these drugs. One or two capsules more than their usual dose is an overdose for them and they die. I'm not sure and you might have to confirm this, but I think this is how the famous singer and actress, Judy Garland, accidentally died of her overdose--took one or two too many of her barbiturates than she was supposed to.