Drug Pushers, are they in your home?

  • Posted on July 2, 2009 at 11:34 pm

by Robert F. Forman, Ph.D.

The Internet is a powerful resource for education, entertainment and business. Unfortunately, the Internet is also a haven for selling and buying all sorts of drugs without prescription. Websites offering to sell pain relievers, uppers, downers and steroids without a prescription can be readily found using search engines. imageStudies conducted at the University of Pennsylvania found that the Yahoo and Google search engines list websites that offer to sell highly addictive prescription drugs without prescription.

But buyer beware! These medications are illegal to possess without a valid prescription regardless of what the website might claim. Many “No Prescription Websites” mislead potential customers into thinking that they are legitimate by making false claims of legality. In fact, it is illegal to possess medications in the United States without a valid prescription.

Many no prescription websites ship counterfeit, expired or simply bad drugs from countries that provide little or no oversight or control. You don’t know what you are getting when you deal with an online pill mill. In some cases, the website will simply take your money and send nothing at all.

Of even greater concern are the websites that actually ship the drugs without prescription. Medications such as opioids (such as Vicodin, codeine or oxycodone), sedatives like Xanax and Valium, and stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall) are potentially addictive and can easily be misused with disastrous results. Just because a drug comes in the form of a pill doesn’t mean it is safe. There are more people abusing prescription drugs than heroin and cocaine combined.

Young people are particularly vulnerable to Internet-based drug dealing because they have grown up using the Internet and don’t realize its potential risks. Somehow, professionally created websites provide an illusion of safety and professionalism. However, just because a website has the image of a doctor on it does not mean a doctor has had anything to do with the drug sales. Sadly, there are several reports of young people who have died from drugs they bought over the Internet without prescription.

how do i get my dad off drugs http://www.howdoigetmydadoffdrugs.com how do i get my kids off drugs http://www.howdoigetmykidsoffdrugs.com

image FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING DRUGS OVER THE INTERNET WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION

  • 1. Look for unexpected credit card use.
  • If unexpected charges appear on your credit card, call your credit card company and find out what is happening. It is possible that your card is being used to buy drugs online without prescription.
  • 2. Know your child’s online friends.
  • Just as you should know the friends your child spends time with, pay attention to where they go online, too. Question your child if he or she is visiting online pharmacies or drug-promoting websites. If your child has already been treated for a substance use problem, the risk of relapsing and finding trouble on the Internet may be even greater.
  • 3. Look out for unexpected packages with unrecognized names.
  • If unexpected packages arrive at your home addressed to your child or a name that you do not recognize insist that your child open the package in your presence.
  • 4. Get computer help.
  • If you have reason to suspect that your child is using the computer to obtain drugs illegally, seek two kinds of professional help: a) an addictions specialist to address the substance use problem and b) someone to secure your computer so that you can ensure that it is used safely. In most communities there are computer service companies that can help you set up controls over your computer (often called filtering or blocking software, or software programs that monitor what websites are being visited).
  • 5. For medications prescribed by a doctor only, use online pharmacies with the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS) certification.

This is a voluntary certification program initiated by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Some online pharmacies will simply take your money and run, others sell counterfeit and expired drugs, while others deliver the actual drugs – illegally. Buying medications without a valid prescription is illegal and unsafe. Websites which have the VIPPS Seal subscribe to safe online pharmacy practices and operate legitimately.

how do i get off drugs http://www.howdoigetoffdrugs.com best drug rehab clinic http://www.bestdrugrehabclinic.com best drug rehabilitation clinic http://www.bestdrugrehabilitationclinic.com
  • Share/Bookmark

Sorry, the comment form is now closed.