Codeine is an opioid – a narcotic analgesic – commonly used as a cough syrup also. It blocks signaling pathways between the brain and the central nervous system (CNS). As a CNS depressant, it diminishes the cough stimuli when other cough suppressants become ineffective. Read more
The United States is in the middle of a drug overdose epidemic that has become a leading cause of accidental deaths in the country. According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2014, drug overdose accounted for 47,055 accidental deaths in the country, of which 28,647 deaths were related to opioid addiction or abuse. Considering the growing number of opioid-related deaths, the U.S. administration has amended previous reforms, including shifts in public policies and new legislations as well as introduced the proposed ones. Read more
Prescription drug abuse is when someone takes a medication without a prescription in a way other than as prescribed, for non-medical purposes. Drugs including painkillers, depressants and stimulants are often self-prescribed, taken to ease psychological distress or used for recreational purposes. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the non-medical use of prescription drugs is second to marijuana as the most prevalent drug problem in the United States. Read more
