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Prescription opioid painkillers may not be getting the attention they deserve, which is unfortunate considering the negative impact they’re having on many lives. True, they’re effective for relieving severe pain, so use of them is sometimes necessary. The problem is that they are so highly addictive that people are ending up in Emergency Rooms or dying from painkiller overdoses.

An article in the LA Times titled ER data add to alarm on painkillers provides some pretty shocking data about painkiller overdoses in the United States. Two highlights are that care for painkiller overdose victims in 2010 cost an estimated $1.4 billion, and that painkiller deaths quadrupled between 1999 and 2011. It’s a very interesting and quick read if you want to get up to speed on the negative effects of painkillers.

This isn’t to say that doctors should stop prescribing opioid painkillers or that everyone should stop using them immediately. The problem has grown mainly due to them being prescribed too often, though, and, for most, for much longer terms than they are needed. The people who take them may have needed them for pain, at first, but they become addicted and can’t or don’t want to stop. So they continue to complain about persistent pain and doctors refill them. All too often, without questioning the patients’ needs.

Another hurdle that arises for painkiller addicted patients comes when their doctors do cut them off. With nowhere else to turn for the drug that satisfies their craving and relieves withdrawals, they’ll turn to illegal drugs. Namely, heroin. Some individuals who’ve never even been drunk before they started using legal prescription painkillers find themselves associated with illegal drug dealers. And if their addiction hadn’t caused them problems using prescribed painkillers, they will quickly arise using the much more powerful and inexpensive-by-comparison heroin.

Knowing all of this, the most effective deterrent from getting into trouble with opioids is to just not get addicted in the first place. That’s easier said than done. Some people are predisposed to addicting to substances or behaviors in their lifetime. Others fall into the trap of chemical dependence due to long term use of painkillers. Tolerance to the drug leads them to need more of it to satisfy the body’s craving, and the end result is the same as it is for any other addict. It’s possible that tighter restrictions on the prescribing of painkillers will decrease long-term users who become physically addicted.

Many of these individuals will claim that they are okay with being addicted to opioids because they don’t use more than the prescribed dosage and it relieves their pain. What they don’t realize is that it’s easy to overdose on these medications and wind up in the ER. They may double dose due to memory lapses that can make them forget about the pill they just took. Or they may take another prescription drug or alcohol that enhances the effects of opioids. These drugs can cause respiratory failure and other sudden issues that can be tragic.

Reading all of this may make you wonder what could possibly be done to solve this problem. Treatment is still the best answer for those who become addicted to opioids via the painkiller route. We need to remove the stigma that addiction treatment is only for the weak and undisciplined. Medically assisted detox followed by residential or outpatient treatment builds a great foundation for someone beginning their life in recovery. Medication Assisted Treatment options like Methadone Maintenance and Buprenorphine Maintenance can benefit those who fall into a cycle of relapse and can’t stay clean.

The bottom line is that opioids are powerfully addictive drugs that cause overdoses that can kill, and the number of opioid overdoses are increasing every year. Yet, if you were to ask 10 random people on the street about this topic, most of them would say they are safe because they’re prescribed by a doctor. So if you or someone you know is taking painkillers, prescribed or not, share this article. Take a serious look at how much of the drug you or your loved one takes every day, and start an action plan to get off of them. It will be a temporary struggle, but that’s a lot better than ending up in the ER because you can’t breath or need to be revived.