OTC medicines just as dangerous as street drugs
Over-the-counter and prescription medicines pose just as much of a threat as street drugs.
This week is the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence’s (Sanca’s) Drug Awareness Week, and the News wants to highlight the fact that over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are just as dangerous as street drugs.
The medicines we keep in our homes, for example painkillers, sleeping tablets and codeine products, are the most commonly abused OTC items.
Incorrect use of OTC medicines can result in people developing a tolerance for them, or becoming addicted to them, or cause various other health conditions. It’s often difficult to establish whether OTC medicines are being abused, because they are viewed as both safe, and legal,
“We also live in a chemically-orientated society that finds it socially acceptable to use these legal medicines, and makes them easy to hide and use,” said Adrie Vermeulen, Convener of the Sanca Treatment Portfolio.
The public is urged to stick to the recommended dosages and directions, and to take note of the warnings on the packaging of all OTC medicines.
If you or anyone you know is addicted to an OTC medicine, seek help as soon as possible, as addictions can have life-threatening consequences.
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Drug abuse twice the world norm
