By Angelice Romero |Staff Writer|

Our generation has become so dependent on meds that it is becoming an epidemic.
To think curing your issues can be done by taking a simple pill is an antiquated process.
Have a headache? Can’t sleep? Anxiety ridden? Your kid is too hyper? There’s a pill for all of that.
Along with using medication as a cure all, there is a booming trend of abusing these drugs as a form of recreation.
With all the medicine out there, people are not handling it properly.
Gatherings such as “pharm parties” or “Skittle parties,” where they put all their pills in a bowl and take them at random, have become increasingly popular.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “Opioids (such as the pain relievers OxyContin and Vicodin), central nervous system depressants (e.g., Xanax, Valium), and stimulants (e.g., Ritalin, Adderall) are the most commonly abused prescription drugs.”
Even non prescription drugs are being abused; cough syrup has gone from a medicine to a popular party favor.
At many stores, you are not allowed to buy cough syrup such a NyQuil or Robitussin unless you are 18 with proper identification.
This is because cough syrup has codeine in it, which is the main ingredient in popular party drinks like Purple Drank or Lean.
Now, we all take our fair share of meds to deal with whatever pain we have, but this instant gratification is going down a dangerous path.
We should try to cure our issues with healthier, holistic, organic alternatives like teas and herbs, living a healthier lifestyle, being cautious of what we do, exercising or simply just waiting it out.
Ibuprofen, a drug known for treating pain has severe side affects such as vomiting, hemorrhage and dizziness. This pill can be especially dangerous if taken in combination with alcohol.
If you can’t sleep, try some Sleepytime Herbal Tea, it has ingredients which helps you relax and prepare for sleep.
Or consider aromatherapy; scents like lavender and eucalyptus have been know to induce relaxation.
A CSUSB student, who preferred to remain anonymous, gave me her story with prescription pills after a critical surgery.
She was on a load of prescription pills such as Oxycontin, Hydrocodone and Codeine.
She got to a point where she was worried for her health.
“I started having this feeling of being ‘out of it’, I saw pictures and I knew the people but I couldn’t remember them,” she said, “My body was going through shock, I had constipation and I was throwing up often.”
She eventually invested in getting a medical card for medical marijuana. She would smoke marijuana to relieve some pain and discomfort cause by her surgery, but would make sure that she could still function.
Our generation needs to remember that although pills give us a quick and easy relief of our pain and troubles, it still brings harm.
The best thing for us is to find healthy, organic or natural sources for our troubles because, in the long run, ingesting pills for every little issue will have negative effects on the human body.

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