Statistics Of Prescription Drug Abuse

6.5 Million Americans Use Prescription Drugs Non-Medically

People Need To Be Educated On This Problem

Prescription drug abuse is the Nation’s fastest-growing drug problem.

6.5 Million Americans use prescription drugs such as pain relievers, tranquilizers, and stimulants, non-medically. More than 50% of them aged 12 and over, got them from friends or family for free.

The number of emergency department visits due to medication poisoning for children under age five increased 30% from 2001 to 2008, and child self-exposure to prescription products accounted for 55% of the emergency room visits!

Abuse of prescription pain medications is leading to an increase in opiate overdoses.  Abuse of prescription pain pills is a growing problem with a growing number of fatalities.

By 2009, 257 million prescriptions were dispensed, an increase of 48 percent. Further, opiate overdoses, once almost always due to heroin use, are now increasingly due to abuse of prescription painkillers. Only a small fraction of drug users are currently undergoing treatment.

It is important to provide law enforcement agencies with support and the tools they need to expand their efforts to shut down “pill mills” and to stop “doctor shoppers” who contribute to prescription drug trafficking. When people have medication left over, they need to dispose of it so noone gets a hold of it.

Many people are still not aware that the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as the use of illegal drugs, leading to addiction and even death. Parents and youth in particular, need to be better educated about these dangers. There is a common misperception among many parents and youth that prescription drugs are less dangerous when abused, than illegal drugs, because they are FDA-approved.

Educating healthcare providers about prescription drug abuse will promote awareness of this growing problem among prescribers so they will not over-prescribe the medication necessary to treat minor conditions. This, in turn, will reduce the amount of unused medication sitting in medicine cabinets in homes across the country.

Nearly 15% of all United States high school students have misused prescription controlled substance drugs. Almost half of all high school students are current users of addictive substances, primarily alcohol, but also cigarettes, marijuana, and prescription drugs and of these, one in three is addicted.

GREEN – Bought from friend/relative, dealer or internet

RED – Prescribed from 1 or more doctors

BLUE – Obtained from friend/relative for free or without asking.

In surveys conducted by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, teens reported that they used prescription drugs to help them deal with problems, manage their lives, lower stress, and enhance performance, as well as to get high. Almost a third (32%) of teens say they abuse prescription painkillers because they believe there are fewer side effects than street drugs.

Most eighth-grade students perceive regular marijuana use and occasional heroin use as a great risk, but less than 36% see occasional nonmedical use of Vicodin or OxyContin as a great risk!

“Pharm parties” are quickly becoming popular in many high schools. Prescription drugs, or “pilz,” are dumped in a bowl and taken by the handful, resulting in many different possible drug-drug interactions and overdoses.

Some people buy drugs online. Most of these sites are not what they appear to be. NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy) has reviewed more than 10,900 online drug outlets and found that nearly 97%  appear to be operating in conflict with pharmacy laws and practice standards. Some could receive pills that contain such fillers as drywall and rat poison! You could have your financial and other personal information stolen, and have your email inbox flooded with spam that could infect your home computer with viruses!

In the worst cases, people have died from receiving counterfeit medications that didn’t treat their serious medical conditions! If a website has “.pharmacy” at the end of its web address, you can rest assured that online pharmacy is operating legally.

When people get addicted to these pills, they eventually turn to Heroin, it’s cheaper. At first they will probably snort it and then they go to shooting it up. They get high quicker when it goes directly into their veins. Addiction is a disease and they have to go through the correct programs to stop using.

When they get arrested they need to be sent to rehab, not jail. They just sit in jail, and don’t learn anything about stopping. In rehab they get help and they’re taught the 12 steps and more. They need to learn how to look to God and stop using. Addiction is a disease and they have to learn how to control it. This needs to be changed in the justice system.

There’s more info on this at Awarerx.

If you need help or have a loved one that is an addict, you can find support at TheAddictMoms. There’s also FB groups like

Also, I have several information posts at the top of this page under Addiction Posts.

If you have any questions for me, please let me know in the comments. Or you can email me.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!