Ahmad Al-Rajaa
IT is sad that our media sometimes fails to shed light on disastrous practices that occur in our society. One of these practices is the abuse of prescription medications, such as Lyrica. Lyrica is a medication that is available in all pharmacies in the private and public sectors. It is widespread among youth in our society and is dispensed without prescription just like medication for headaches. In fact, it is sold on social media websites in broad daylight.
Lyrica should only be prescribed to individuals who suffer from severe nerve and spinal pain that is associated with drug use. A drug addict should be instructed to take this medicine based on certain doses set by his or her doctor. Any increase in doses can lead to doziness, hallucination, partial nerve paralysis and shortness of breath. High doses of Lyrica can kill brain cells and cause the early onset of Alzheimer.
The scary fact about Lyrica is that it causes the same effect as hashish for a person who does not suffer from any of the above symptoms, especially if taken in higher doses or mixed with other medications. This is why Lyrica is widely used by young people. However, its use has not been criminalized like the use of other drugs.
I have no idea what kind of procedures the concerned authorities apply for legalizing and dispensing medications that are known to have major and dangerous side effects. However, they should consider the case of Lyrica and ban its sale without prescription. Many students have complained that Lyrica is widely used in schools and universities. Families should be educated about the use of this medication to ensure that their sons and daughters do not become addicted to it.
