Deadly Prescriptions
Nearly 7 million Americans ages 12 and up are abusing prescription drugs each month, according to DEA figures from 2009. Who is the real culprit behind this rising epidemic — doctors, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, or the consumer? Retail sales of prescription drugs topped $300 billion in 2010 alone, and criminals are doing everything they can to get a piece of the market. Between bribed medical professionals and online "rogue pharmacies," powerful prescription medicines like Oxycodone and Vicodin are falling into the wrong hands — with tragic consequences. Crime Inc. and Carl Quintanilla take a hard look at the addiction that's spreading in America.
