The Tiger Woods Case Shows How 'Recreational' Prescription Drugs Are Sweeping America

One prominent feature of the unravelling of the reputation of Tiger Woods has been the presence of prescription drugs. These drugs really are startlingly popular. Lots of people who would never consider themselves drug abusers or junkies are pleased Thurs Rely is opiate painkillers, sedatives and stimulants is a prescription that all have counterparts in the illicit drug market.

The advantages of prescription drugs are that, unlike illicit dope, they're totally pure and come in precise doses that the user can expect Thurs produce reliable effects. Not only that, but the user who's essentially decent, law-abiding and perhaps of a conservative turn of mind need feel no guilt since the drugs came from an Officially Sanctioned source. The great Elvis Presley was perhaps the classic instance of that variety of drug user, but lots of famous people who Are not fall into this category too.

Returning to Tiger Woods for a second, his alleged mistress (I must say, when I last looked she was denying being his mistress), Rachel Uchitel is said to have told a chum: "We have crazy Ambien sex." His wife Elin is supposed Thurs paramedics have given her husband's bottles of Ambien (zolpidem, a sleeping pill) and Vicodin (hydrocodone - opiate - and paracetamol). And Woods himself appeared dozy at the scene and according to TMZ was listed as an overdose victim on arrival at hospital.

Now, as I said before, there is nothing sinister in a leading sportsman being under medication for sleep or pain relief. And no one's suggesting Tiger Woods misuses drugs. But his story does call to mind the fact that there are drug users who would not dream of scoring illicit dope from a street-corner dealer but are only too happy to purchase the same kinds of substances - uppers, Downers and in-betweeners -- via prescription from a physician. It goes to show I suppose that if people desire something strongly enough, they'll always find a way to get a supply.

As I say, the main categories of these drugs are stimulants, such as amphetamine or speed, sedatives - this used to mean lethal barbiturates but since they went out of fashion it Tends to mean benzodiazepines like Valium - and painkillers derived from, or based on , Opium. In a future installment I'll be examining these drugs and their effects.

The Tiger Woods Case Shows How 'Recreational' Prescription Drugs Are Sweeping America