Facts About Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drug abuse is becoming a major problem next only to marijuana abuse. One of the main reasons for the growth of prescription drug abuse is the easy availability of the medications over the counter from a drug store, from a doctor or through online pharmaceuticals. It is becoming easier mainly to youngsters to access narcotic medications like tranquilizers and stimulants, in which the abuse is rapidly growing. Some of the facts about prescription drug abuse are as follows-

• A considerable number of people are abusing prescription drugs. According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, an estimated 48 million people (20%) who are aged 12 and above of US population have used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes or reasons.

• According to SAMSHA, non-medical use of prescription-type drugs among young adults increased from 5.4 percent in 2002 to 6.4 percent in 2006. This was primarily due to an increase in the rate of pain relievers’ usage, which was 4.1 percent in 2002 and 4.9 percent in 2006.

• Non-medical use of tranquilizers also increased over the 5-year period, from 1.6 in 2002 to 2.0 percent in 2006.

• Teenagers and youngsters are the main sections involved in prescription drug abuse. It is found that, 15.4 percent of high school seniors reported non-medical use of at least one prescription medication within the last year (2006).

• NIDA states that OxyContin use in the last year was reported by 1.8 percent of 8th-graders, 3.9 percent of 10th-graders, and 5.2 percent of 12th- graders.

• Vicodin use in 2006 was reported by 2.7 percent of 8th-graders, 7.2 percent of 10th-graders, and 9.6 percent of 12th-graders, remaining stable at relatively high levels for each grade.

• Friends or relatives are becoming the first reason and an easy source for the prescription drug abuse. Among persons aged 12 or older who used pain relievers non-medical reasons in the past 12 months (2006), 55.7 percent reported that the source of the drug most recently they used, was from a friend or relative for free.

• Doctors are also an easy source to obtain narcotic medications. 19.1 percent of the prescription drug abusers reported they got the drug from just one doctor.

The above facts clearly state that, youngsters are clearly becoming vulnerable to prescription drug abuse. All the sections of the society should take serious steps to stop prescription drug abuse from doing further damage to the community.