You know taking illegal street drugs is wrong, so you stay away from them. However, you may wonder if you can get in trouble by taking a pill or two from someone else’s prescription. Is it illegal?
In Florida, taking prescription drugs that do not belong to you can land you in jail or worse – the hospital. If you have taken a pill from a friend or loved one, review these three reasons you need to stop participating in this risky and illegal practice.
1. Taking someone else’s medication is dangerous
You may have grabbed a pill or two from a coworker who offered them for a headache, toothache or another painful ailment. You may have gotten relief and wonder why sharing medication gets such a bad rep. Taking a prescription intended for someone else can cause a severe reaction in you. Doctors write prescriptions based on a specific patient’s medical history, weight and prior drug interaction experience. You may not know whether you will have an adverse reaction to something until you take it. It may interfere with other prescriptions you take or even something over the counter.
2. You could wind up in jail
Say an aunt gives you a couple of Xanax pills to help you relax after a stressful week. While driving home, if you get stopped with those pills, a police officer knows it is a controlled substance. If you cannot provide a valid prescription in your name, you will face charges. The more pills you have, the more likely an officer is to give you extra charges, like an intent to distribute kicker.
3. You could wind up addicted
Taking an occasional pill or two may lead you to become dependent on them. Abuse of prescriptions has increased steadily over the years and is underneath alcohol as the most addictive substance. Trying to recover from this type of addiction is difficult, so not risking such an addiction is best.
Medical professionals intend prescription pills to help the intended recipient. Taking someone else’s drugs may turn out poorly for you in many ways.
