What is the Scope of Prescription Drug Abuse in this Country?
Several indicators show that prescription drug abuse is a significant problem in the United States and one that has been increasing recently. Click to enlarge • Approximately 6 million persons 12 and older used psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical purposes in 2004, which represents 2.5 percent of the U.S. population. Most of them reported abusing opiate pain relievers in particular, with young adults (18-25) showing the greatest increases in lifetime use between 2002 and 2004 (National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), conducted by HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). • In 2004, 2.4 million persons ages 12 or older initiated non-medical use of prescription pain relievers during the past year, surpassing for the first time in the life of the survey, those who initiated abuse of marijuana (2.1 million) (National Survey on Drug Use and Health). • Among 12th graders, in 2005, 9.5% reported past-year non-medical use of Vicodin, and 5.5% reported past-yea
