Silent Epidemic

The nation has been experiencing a prescription drug epidemic for at least seven years

Published on October 12, 2005 By Sid_Gibson In Parenting

Prescription drug abuse among teens is at epidemic levels. Yet, it has not appeared on the radar screens of many parents and educators. For example, did you know that crushing an OxyContin (pain reliever) pill and snorting it has the same effect and addictive qualities of heroin? For your information, the Join Together Resource Database includes the following report:

Prescription Drug Abuse Policy Brief

Almost 48 million Americans have used a prescription drug nonmedically at least once in their lifetimes. This policy brief looks at the nature of prescription drug abuse and approaches, including pharmaceutical company initiatives and state-based controls, needed to address the problem.

This Policy Brief is a publication of the Research and Policy Analysis
Group of Carnevale Associates, LLC. Carnevale Associates provides
strategic leadership to public and private organizations through its
three practice groups: Strategic Planning, Research and Policy Analysis,
and Integrated Communications.

Prescription Drug Abuse — The Silent Epidemic

Overview

Over 6.3 million people use prescription drugs nonmedically on a current or past month basis. This level of use is second only to marijuana in the number of users—14.6 million. It also exceeds historical estimates of the numbers of cocaine and heroin users at the peak of each of their epidemics. In spite of these facts, the nonmedical use of prescription drugs attracts little media attention or public concern.

Abuse

Prescription drug abuse occurs when a person uses a prescription drug outside of the normally accepted standard for its use. This definition includes, for example, prescription drugs legally obtained but not used for their intended purpose. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health refers to nonmedical use, which includes prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers,
stimulants or sedatives.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the level of prescription drug abuse is staggering with abuse of pain relievers as the predominant problem.

The number of first-time users —an indicator often used to track epidemics—suggests that the nation has been experiencing a prescription drug epidemic for at least seven years.

The prescription drug epidemic is particularly acute among youth. In the ten years since 1992, the number of youth using pain relievers for the first time grew by an average of 54 percent per
year.

Crime and Health Consequences

The crime consequences of prescription drug abuse are relatively insignificant, especially when compared with other drugs such as alcohol, heroin, and cocaine.

The health consequences of prescription drug abuse are more evident than its criminal consequences. Prescription drug abuse can have very serious effects, which vary depending on the type of drug abused. Opioids, which include pain relievers such as Morphine, Oxycontin,
and Demerol, may lead to severe respiratory depression possibly resulting in death. Opioids are extremely addictive, as the user develops a tolerance to the drug they must take higher doses to achieve the same results.

Pressures on Treatment

Our nation’s treatment programs are experiencing the consequences of prescription drug abuse. Of the 21.6 million Americans dependent on or abusing any illicit drugs or alcohol in 2003, 1.9 million were dependent on or abusers of a prescription drug. Dependence on pain relievers was
the most serious problem, with over 1.4 million people reporting problems of this nature. Between 1997 and 2002, treatment admissions where painkillers were the primary drug of
abuse increased 186 percent. By comparison, the overall number of treatment admissions increased by 17 percent; admissions for heroin abuse increased by 21 percent.

What Must Be Done

The long-term solution to prescription drug abuse is to prevent it from ever starting in the first place. Those at risk of abuse require large, targeted dosages of prevention and education. Community-based education efforts—such as those represented by community anti-drug coalitions—are a constructive means to educate the public about the problems associated with prescription drug abuse. More broad-based media messages educating the public about the signs and consequences of prescription drug abuse are needed.

Pharmaceutical Companies

Pharmaceutical companies are corporate citizens that have a financial interest and a social responsibility to ensure that their products are not misused. These companies must be included in the national public policy debate to solve the problem of prescription drug abuse. Corporate leadership is needed to develop educational material for medical professionals, law enforcement,
teachers, parents, and others who face daily challenges posed by prescription drug abuse.

State-Based Controls

To track potential cases of abuse, many states are implementing prescription drug monitoring programs (PMPs). A PMP is a system into which prescription data for designated schedules of controlled substances are reported to a central location (e.g., a state agency) where the information is entered into an electronic database. PMPs help to prevent and detect the diversion and abuse of pharmaceutical controlled substances, particularly at the retail level where no other automated information collection system exists.

Quick Facts

• An estimated 6.3 million
Americans aged 12 and older
use prescription drugs nonmedically.

• Pain relievers are the most
highly abused of prescription
drugs.

• Almost 48 million Americans—
or 20 percent—have
used prescription drugs nonmedically
at least once in their
lifetimes.

• Almost 2.5 million persons
used pain relievers nonmedically
for the first time in
2002—44 percent were under
the age of 18.

• One in five teens report having
used a prescription painkiller
without a doctor’s prescription.

• There were almost 84,000 admissions
to treatment involving
narcotic painkillers in 2002.

• The largest increase in treatment
admissions for prescription
drug abuse between
1997 and 2002 occurred
among those aged 20 to 30.

• Twenty states have prescription
monitoring programs in
place targeting diversion and
potential abuse.

Comments

No one has commented on this article. Be the first!

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!