CANDICE: Welcome to Cracker Croakers for Monday, January 14, 2019. I'm Candice Bergeron, your hostess with the mostest.

COLTON: And, I'm your other host Colton Wyatt.

CANDICE: Zombies. Plain and simple. That's todays topic, Colton. There is a current phenomenon that turns many American citizens into a zombie-like state. I'm talking about a persistent epidemic that appears rampant on our shores.

COLTON: There are several steps involved in this process. First, they slowly degrade into lesser versions of themselves. Then, they begin neglecting their daily routines.

CANDICE: Following these declines, their physical appearances become noticeably altered and their emotions freeze. No longer are they animated.

COLTON: They seem to fall apart. They walk absently and are lethargic. However, the cause of their malady is not some strange bacterial or viral assault.

CANDICE: No, they are addicted to prescription drugs. The scary part is getting their pills is not hard to do. And, the addiction can be prevalent. In fact, prescription medications have become some of the most recently abused drugs.

COLTON: Statistics indicate prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed and grown into a national health concern.

CANDICE: People under stress rely on tranquillizers to cope with daily existence. And, according to the United Nations, women more so than men, prefer to ingest pills from their doctors.

COLTON: Candice, did you know there are some 200 million antidepressant prescriptions written in the United States on a yearly basis?

CANDICE: According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more Americans die from overdoses of prescription medications than all forms of illegal drugs combined. Combined, Colton!

COLTON: Here's another not-so curious fact. There are more accidental prescription drug deaths in the US each year than highway fatalities.

CANDICE: Speaking of lethal cocktails, alcohol and prescription medications both calm the central nervous system. Combine the two together and voila the mixture is often deadly.

COLTON: Some of the most frequently abused painkillers are Percocet, Vicodin, and Oxycontin. Moreover, prescription drug abuse does not just affect adults.

CANDICE: The problem trickles down to teenagers, who throw pill parties where they snatch medications from their parents, dump them into a bowl, and ingest the pills without knowing what's in them. Not a real smart idea, Colton. The results of such actions often lead to a gravesite.

COLTON: Children even younger than that can develop a drug habit. Those who start out early in life typically continue their habits when they become adults. Candice, do you know the most common reason given for this addiction and where it stems from?

CANDICE: Tell me, Colton.

COLTON: Pills for the relief of pain from a medical problem.

CANDICE: Let's examine three classes of prescription medications that usually work by suppressing chemical reactions in a user's brain. Sedatives, most often tranquillizers, treat anxiety and sleep disorders. Stimulants are generally prescribed for attention deficit disorders, and opiates for chronic pain.

COLTON: Abusers use psychotropic drugs like Prozac and Abilify to treat schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.

CANDICE: The availability of prescription medications is higher than its ever been before. Some doctors routinely prescribe them for health issues. Also, because of Internet pharmacies, prescription drugs are more readily obtainable.

COLTON: Most prescription drugs offer a pleasurable sensation. Therefore, people start taking more and more of them to enhance that feeling.

CANDICE: This leads to a tolerance to the drug being acquired. Then, additional medicine is required to produce the initial effect the drug was prescribed for.

COLTON: Employment problems, job loss, personal relationships, legal issues, and psychological troubles are but a few areas of an abuser's life that can be negatively impacted by prescription medication misuse.

CANDICE: Tell-tale signs of prescription drug abuse can include difficulty focusing or concentrating, acting like they are in a perpetual fog, and social withdrawal. Habitually, the abuser does not possess a clear mind.

COLTON: These malfunctions may be the results of the abuser suffering from a slowed rate of breathing, a decreased heart rate, and depressed blood pressure. All ailments that demonstrate they are not functioning at full capacity.

CANDICE: There are several signs of prescription medicine abuse. Among these are being confused, usually about the time or their surroundings. An intoxicated appearance, though they are not drunk, is another.

COLTON: So are involuntary movements and gestures, as well as difficulty with remembering. Throw in poor judgment and decision-making abilities and you can see the adverse effects abusing prescription drugs can have on a person.

CANDICE: People addicted to these drugs may also be hooked on other, harsher, ones too.

COLTON: Programs like dialectic behavior therapy often produce better results than drug therapies when attempting to wean an addict off prescription medication habits. These therapies assist the abuser in managing their symptoms.

CANDICE: Some other possible aides may be self-hypnosis and guided imagery. Hey, whatever works. Chiropractic treatments and physical therapies may also be useful to help abusers better cope with their pain.

COLTON: Without the proper assistance obtaining prescription medications to satisfy their addiction can easily become the one reason abusers have for existing.

CANDICE: That about wraps us up for this edition of Cracker Croakers.

COLTON: In that case smarty-pants, I suppose we better say adieu. She's Candice!

CANDICE: And, he's Colton!

CANDICE AND COLTON: And, we invite you to join us again tomorrow for another entertaining edition of Cracker Croakers (Featuring Candice and Colton).