When people think of anti-addiction drugs, they pay more attention to “anti-addiction” than to “drug”.
The fact remains that these are drugs.
Methadone is a drug, and you can overdose on it.
Just because it replaces heroin does not mean that it’s any less of a drug, addictive, or dangerous, and should only be administered under supervision.
This is especially true when it comes to children.
A recent study shows that far too many children are getting their hands on anti-addiction drugs–and landing themselves in the hospital.
For every 100,000 patients prescribed buprenorphine, 200 young children were hospitalized for taking it, the study found. That rate is more than four times higher than the statistic for the next most commonly implicated drug, a blood pressure medicine. Almost 800 youngsters a year were hospitalized after swallowing buprenorphine…
Buprenorphine is an important anti-addiction drug, and while it’s “an opioid up to 50 times more potent as a painkiller than morphine”, it’s highly effective in helping with drug withdrawals. And according to the study, over 400,000 patients have been administered the drug.
Keeping drugs out of the hands of children starts with responsible parents and caregivers. If you’re currently taking or are considering taking buprenorphine, please keep it in a safe place away from children.