According to a recent poll conducted by the Washington Post and The Kaiser Family Foundation, at least one-third of Americans who have taken prescription opioids for two months or more say they have become addicted to the drugs.
Among the respondents who are long-term users, all of them say they were introduced to the prescription drugs from their doctor. What starts out as a way to relieve pain quickly develops into an addiction because many of those who are prescribed opioids by doctors are not informed of the risks associated with taking the pills.
Of the 662 people surveyed, more than six in 10 said doctors offered no advice on how or when to stop taking drugs. Another one in five said doctors did not provide sufficient information about the risks, including addiction.
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