Pill popping:

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)'s survey the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2008 15.2 million Americans age 12 and older had taken a prescription pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative for nonmedical purposes at least once in the year.

Addiction to and the abuse of prescription drugs, also known as "pill popping," has become a national trend. According to Ivan Budisin, a psychologist at the PUC Counseling Center, pill popping has become a trend due to the fact that prescription drugs are becoming more available.

"In 1991, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse there were 40 million orders for prescription drugs sent out," said Budisin. "In 2001, 180 million orders were sent out. It's a huge increase."

According to an article on the NIDA web site entitled, "Prescription Drug Abuse - Topics in Brief," the three most commonly abused classes of prescription drugs are Opioids such as Vicodin, which are often prescribed to treat pain; Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants such as Valium, which are used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders; and stimulants such as Ritalin, which are prescribed to treat certain sleep disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Budisin said that prescription drug addiction is most popular among high school and college students due to easy access, either by taking their own prescription drugs for non-medicinal purposes, or taking someone else's prescription drugs for non-medicinal purposes. Another reason for addiction has to do with cost; prescription drugs do not cost a lot of money, so it is easy to afford.

There is also a huge misconception involved in prescription drug abuse and addiction, which makes it such a huge trend.

"The misconception is that prescription drugs aren't dangerous because a doctor gives them out," said Budisin. "Young people, mostly ones in their early 20s, don't understand the effects of prescription drug abuse; that it can be bad for you when you try to get a job or go to school, that you can be ostracized by your family and friends for it. There's also an invincibility factor and the saying that 'this can never happen to me.'"

Pill popping and prescription drug addiction do have their share of consequences.

"People have died from taking too much of a drug or taking that drug with alcohol, which is not a good combination," said Budisin. "There is no such thing as a safe drug."

In all, three classes of commonly abused prescription drugs there is a strong risk for addiction and overdose as well as dangerous withdrawal symptoms if the user goes off the drug suddenly, which is the case for those who take depressants. According to an article on the NIDA web site, "Prescription Medications: Drugs of Abuse and Related Topics," opioids can produce drowsiness, constipation and, depending on amount taken, can depress breathing. Central nervous system depressants slow down brain function; if combined with other medications that cause drowsiness or alcohol, heart rate and respiration can slow down dangerously.

While the prescription drug trend is more national than centrally located to PUC, the Counseling Center has seen its share when it comes to cases of prescription drug abuse, although according to Budisin, pill popping is not usually the only problem.

"Usually, people never come into the Counseling Center right away and say that they're addicted to prescription drugs," said Budisin. "More often than not, they come in with other issues that need to be dealt with and then overtime, as the relationship is established, they'll start coming out with facts like that."

Budisin said that there are no specific trends at PUC when it comes to prescription drug abuse, but he estimates that PUC is on par with various other universities in the nation who have this problem and are willing to help students that do.

"We would refer people to the Counseling Center," said Budisin. "We would help them address issues and then recommend them to various programs that might be better suited to their needs. Programs such as support groups and small group settings and 12-step programs. There are numerous programs around for people to seek help at."