520 die from prescription drug abuse

Abuse of prescription drugs is reaching epidemic proportions -- with more than 520 people a year dying directly from misusing such medication.

While most of the deaths are related to anti-depressants, there is a growing abuse of prescribed painkillers and medications used to treat attention deficit disorder in children, along with over-the-counter painkillers, according to Dr Des Corrigan of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs.

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Source: Evening Herald, 05/03/2011