Nonmedical Prescription Painkiller Abuse Rising among Adults
The use of prescription dugs among those individuals who have no medical need or even a legal prescription is a growing problem in the United States. According to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2.1 percent of individuals aged 12 or older reported using prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past month during the study year of 2007. This rate varies little from the data that was collected in 2002.
According to national data, the use of prescription pain relievers without a prescription or only for the experience or feeling caused is the second most common form of illicit drug use in the United States, second only to marijuana. When taken without a physician’s permission or not as directed, hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin), morphine, and similar prescription pain relievers can cause serious adverse reactions and can lead to abuse and dependence.
The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) reported that 324,000 emergency room visits in 2006 involved the nonmedical use of pain relievers. In the 12- to 17-year-old range, this use declined from 3.2 percent in 2002 to 2.7 percent in 2007. The increase however, was found in young adults aged 18 to 25 and among adults aged 26 or older.
The rate of nonmedical use of pain relievers in the past month by young adults increased from 4.1 percent in 2002 to 4.6 percent in 2007. For adults aged 26 or older, the increase was from 1.3 percent in 2002 to 1.6 percent in 2007. For the studied year 2007, 2.7 percent of youth, 4.6 percent of youth adults, and 1.6 percent of adults aged 26 or older used prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past month.
These percentages represent an estimated 670,000 youth, 1.5 million young adults, and 3 million adults 26 years of age or older. Increases have been the strongest among males aged 12 or older, which represented 2.0 percent in 2002 and 2.6 percent in 2007. The rate among females did not change significantly over the studied period, remaining in the range of 1.7 to 1.9 percent.
The findings from this report are surprising as industry news continues to target adolescents as the main culprit in prescription drug abuse. However, the rates among adults aged 18 or older increased from 2002 to 2007. This increased use puts greater demands on the health care system to treat those who have a problem.
These findings suggest that increased education, prevention, and intervention may be needed among the adult demographic, without lessening the current activities in youth prevention.