WHAT YOU DONT KNOW

MAY SHOCK YOU!ABOUT THE DEADLISET DRUGS

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

3000026,654

16,917

4,681 4,397

AlcoholDeaths

PainkillerDeaths

CocaineDeaths

HeroinDeaths

Still, the death tolls show that the LEGAL DRUGS remain a majorpublic health problem and, according to experts and research-ers, policymakers could do more to curb deaths caused by the

two(alcohol and painkillers) of the most deadly drugs.

DEATHS IN USA CAUSED BY DRUGS, 2011

26,654 deaths in 2011are caused by alcohol-induced problems

But that under-counts the number of deaths created byalcohol: when including other causes of death like drunkdriving and other accidents, the toll ascends to 88,000 foreach year.

76% of those whodied from alcoholpoisoning are men.

6 people die ofalcohol poisoningeach day in the

us.

alcohol is a factorin 40% of violent

crimes.

16,917 deaths in 2011are caused by Opioid-based prescription painkillers

31% of prescription painkiller-linked overdose deathsin 2011 were also related to benzodiazepines, a legal

anti-anxiety drug.

Over time, this candamage the heart andlungs because you aren t

getting enough air.

Opioid use can lower theamount of saliva in your

mouth, saliva flushes awaybacteria in your mouththat cause tooth decay.

Patients taking opioids areat risk of accidental over -

dose or death.

4,681 deaths in 2011are caused by cocaine

Despite its dangers, cocaine use continues toincrease likely because users find it so difficult toescape from the first steps taken down the long darkroad that leads to addiction.

Cocaine can constrict bloodvessels in the brain, causingstrokes. This can happen

even in young people with -out other risk factors forstrokes. Cocaine causesseizures and can lead to

bizzare or violent behavior.

Cocaine increases heart rateand blood pressure while

constricting the arteries sup-plying blood to the heart.The result can be a heartattack. Cocaine can alsotrigger a deadly abnormal

heart rhythm called arrhyth-mia.

Cocaine can cause suddenoverwhelming kidney failure

through a process calledrhabdomyolysis. In peoplewith high blood pressure,regular cocaine use canaccelerate the long-termkidney damage caused by

high blood pressure.

4,397 deaths in 2011are caused by heroin

Most heroin is injected, creating additional risks for theuser, who faces the danger of AIDS or other infection

on top of the pain of addiction.

Heroin and other opiatesreduce the action of

muscles in the intestines,making constipation aconstant problem. This

can result in hemorrhoids,anal tissues or damae tothe rectum that may

require surgery to repair.

Heroin slows down thefunction of the lungs,

which is normally the wayan overdose kills a person.In fact, a person may stopbreathing before the heart

stops beating.

Heroin abuse has beenassociated with high levelsof protein in the urine, acondition that can lead to

kidney failure.

The general point of showing drugs' deadliness in this case isn't tobuild a perfect rank for how dangerous each drug is. Rather, the

purpose is to show that legality doesn't always correlate withsafety, so the public and policymakers shouldn't assume that a

substance is more dangerous just because it's illegal.

SOURCES:http://disinfo.com

http://www.vox.comhttp://www.wakingtimes.com

http://www.webmd.comhttp://www.cdc.gov

http://www.consumerreports.orghttp://healthcare.utah.eduhttp://www.webmd.com

http://www.drugfreeworld.orghttp://www.narconon.org

(877)257-7997www.recoveryexperts.com