Report finds legal meds more deadly than illegal drugs

An analysis of autopsy data in the state of Florida has found that the rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs was three times the rate of deaths caused by all illicit drugs combined. The report, which analyzed 168,900 deaths statewide in 2007, showed that cocaine, heroin, and all methamphetamines caused 989 deaths, while legal opioid painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin caused 2,328. Drugs with benzodiazepine, mainly depressants such as Valium and Xanax, led to 743 deaths. The study also found that deaths related to the opioid oxycodone increased 36 percent during 2007.  Read full story >