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Like food and drinks, medications also have an expiration date. In 1973, the FDA began requiring all manufacturers of medication to provide an expiration of the expected shelf life date. In general, medications have two different expiration dates. The first expiration date is set by the drug maker, which is about 2-3 years from the date of manufacture. The second date is one set by pharmaceuticals, which is one year from which the medication has been prescribed to the patient. Pharmacists are usually limited to the expiration of one year because of the unpredictable storage conditions in which a person will store their medications. In addition, patients should also be re-evaluated for their condition after a year.

Synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl is a prescription drug used to treat chronic pain, severe cancer pain, nerve damage, back injury pain, and any type of major trauma surgery pain. It is about 50-100 times more potent than morphine and is considered the strongest opioid substance with a high risk of dependence, tolerance, addiction and overdose.

SMART Recovery is just one of many peer-led support groups available for those who are struggling with a substance addiction. SMART is an evidenced-informed recovery method whose goal is to recognize self-empowerment when it comes to recovery from substance and alcohol addiction. It helps people learn to change maladaptive behaviors through scientific research, which is constantly evolving and changing as new research and studies are discovered and adapted into the program.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 15 million American adults have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). About 20% of Americans with an alcohol use disorder are also high-functioning alcoholics. Functioning alcoholism is not an official medical diagnosis. It is an informal term used to describe a person suffering from alcohol abuse and dependency but is still able to function in their daily life. Functioning alcoholics may drink too much and may drink too often, but they keep up an appearance of being under control without any noticeable negative impact on everyday life.

Cocaine is an additive stimulant substance that is derived from the cocoa plant and affects the brain’s dopamine system by stimulating the varying types of stimuli such as sex, food and drugs. The drug works by blocking the dopamine transporter protein, which leads to increased dopamine levels in the brain where the “feel good” sensation is amplified.

Alcoholism and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a difficult mental health condition to overcome. It can impact the body physically and mentally with lasting damage. It is a chronic and progressive brain disorder in which users misuse alcohol in an attempt to aid in temporary relief from unpleasant feelings. For some who have had severe cases of alcohol use disorder or have been abusing alcohol for a very long time, changing old habits and developing new healthy ones can be difficult. Sometimes, people can develop symptoms of dry drunk.

Opioids have been at the forefront of the overdose drug crisis for the last few decades. It has become a public health epidemic in which prescription opioids as well as illicit opioids have led to more overdose and deaths than any other disease in recent history. Heroin, an illicit opioid drug, is one of the most addictive substances. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2021, an estimated 1 million Americans aged 12 or older reported having a heroin use disorder in the last year. In the same year, about 9,173 Americans aged 12 or older reportedly died from a heroin overdose.

Vicodin is a popular prescription medication often used to treat moderate to severe pain. Vicodin contains the over-the-counter ingredient acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. This medication is so commonly prescribed because of its ability to treat a wide range of conditions including arthritis pain, side effects of cancer and sometimes persistent coughing.

So what is the most dangerous drug? This is a subjective question. All drugs, whether they are prescription, over-the-counter, legal or illicit, can be dangerous. This is especially true for the latter. Some argue that alcohol is the most dangerous drug due to its widespread availability. Others believe nicotine/tobacco to be the most dangerous drug due to its extreme popularity. And some believe synthetic opioids have now surpassed others in ranking as the number one most dangerous drug due to the decades-long opioid overdose crisis. 

Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health disorders that affects about 19.1% of American adults. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobia-related disorders and social anxiety disorder. Buspirone is a popular anxiolytic treatment used to treat symptoms of various anxiety disorders and help users relax, decrease feelings of stress and worry and think more clearly. Buspar is a popular brand name for the buspirone medication. It has since been discontinued. However, many people still often refer to the generic buspirone medication as Buspar.