Prescription Drug Abuse Rising in America

The last decade has seen an enormous increase in the abuse or non-medical use of prescription pain relievers among Americans. Actually the word “enormous” is probably an understatement, as the facts and figures emerging from a White House study show the increase to be a whopping 400%.

The study, Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Involving Abuse of Pain Relievers: 1998-2008, was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and compiled data on substance abuse treatment admissions for those aged 12 and over reporting abuse of prescription pain relievers between the years of 1998 and 2008. According to the press release from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the increase in the percentage of admissions abusing pain relievers spans every age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, employment level, and region. The study also shows a more than tripling of pain reliever abuse among patients who needed treatment for opioid dependence.

"The…data released today highlights how serious a threat to public health we face from the abuse of prescription drugs", said Gil Kerlikowske, National Drug Policy Director. "The spikes in prescription drug abuse rates captured by this study are dramatic, pervasive, and deeply disturbing."

SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said, "This public health threat demands that we follow the President's National Drug Control Strategy's call for an all-out effort to raise awareness of this risk and the critical importance of properly using, storing, and disposing of these powerful drugs."

The National Drug Control Strategy, released in May of this year, outlines several steps to address what Director Kerlikowske calls "the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States"—prescription drug abuse. They include: