Dr Cory Couillard

The shocking death of the pop star Whitney Houston brings prescription drug use and abuse into the spotlight once again. The deadly combination of Lorazepam, Diazepam, Xanax, and sleeping medications killed Houston in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton. Clearly this is not an isolated event and is growing far too common in the life of celebrities but also in everyday people as well. You hear about the tragedies happening in the spotlight, but forget about the prescription drug abuse that is happening in our local communities and in our hospitals. Tranquilizers are the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medications.The FDA estimates that over 60 million Americans fill prescriptions for tranquilizers every year. (1) They are highly addictive and a tolerance develops quickly that increases abuse. The Red Carpet: Fashionably Overdosed Anna Nicole Smith was found unresponsive in her hotel room in February 2007. She accidently overdosed on the lethal combination of seven...